


The magician and the Welsh dragon

by Mirha



Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fantasy, Fluff, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-07-23 09:18:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 32,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16156130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mirha/pseuds/Mirha
Summary: Leaving the safety of the city to collect herbs for his potions after the guards spotted a dragon nearby certainly wasn’t Luka’s most clever idea.Or maybe it was?





	1. Chapter 1

Luka bit his lip in concentration while throwing the next ingredient into his caldron. He wiped the sweat on his brow, forcing himself to stay focused on the recipe and not on the unbearable heat plaguing the tower. The young magician needed to refill his stock of healing potions before the end of the season. The fresh herbs he needed to make it would start disappearing in autumn, so he didn’t have a single minute to lose, just like he couldn’t allow himself to waste any of it.

Soon enough, the smoke flying out of the caldron took the right color and Luka smiled. He started filling small vials with the mixture before closing each of them and putting it on a shelf. He repeated the motion until his caldron was empty. Then he poured water into it again and started searching for herbs in his reserve. However, he frowned when he realized it was empty, which meant that it was time for him to go out to harvest some more.

He snapped his fingers and the magic fire burning under his caldron disappeared. Luka put on his cape and his hat, swearing all while doing so. He hated wearing those ornaments, especially when it was so warm outside, but he needed it so that the city guards would let him wander wherever he wanted without asking questions.

Luka went down the long stairs of his tower, cursing whoever decided magicians had to live at the top of such high constructions. It was situated near the walls of the city, though, so it didn’t take him long to reach it. A few guards were watching over who was entering. Luka quickly greeted them, ready to go outside, but one of the soldiers stopped him.

“I’m sorry, Luka. No one’s going out today.”

“But Danijel, it’s me! You know I have the right to…”

“I know magicians don’t have to follow the same rules as regular citizens, but this is different. A dragon has been wandering outside of our walls. You have to stay here for your own safety.”

“Please, Suba!”

“Don’t Suba me. You’re staying inside those walls and that’s final. You should go back to your tower, just to be safe, in case the dragon would change his mind and attack the town.”

“If that’s what you want…” Luka pouted.

He turned around, following his friend’s orders, but he couldn’t chase away his frustration. If he didn’t make enough healing potions now, many people could die during winter. And if the city was really under the threat of a dragon attack, then those potions were more needed than ever!

Luka stopped to hide behind a nearby house, convinced that he was skilled enough to escape the beast even if he was to cross ways with it. He took a temporary invisibility potion from under his cape, then drank it in one go. It immediately took effect and Luka hurried to leave the city. He felt a bit guilty when he walked in front of Suba, but he told himself he was doing it for the city and for his friends. Everyone would thank him for those healing potions later.

Once he was outside, he ran to make sure that he would be out of the guards’ sight once the effects of his potion would fade. It happened pretty quickly, but by then, he was in the middle of the field where he usually found all the herbs he neededed. He started gathering it in his basket, making sure to only pick the most perfect leaves, the ones that would mix in his potions without problem.

It was a long and laborious task. His back soon started hurting as the sun burnt his skin, but he gritted his teeth and went on with his work, well-decided to only go home once his basket would be full.

At some point, he was forced to change spot to gather different herbs, the ones that only grew near the mountain. It wasn’t a long walk, but he feel the air growing colder as he got there. Luka enjoyed that change, especially the cold wind that went with it.

Or at least, he did before he understood that it wasn’t wind, but a dragon flapping his wings.

The gigantic reptile flew towards him, a small storm accompanying him. It was so strong that Luka barely managed to keep standing while he lost his magician hat. He started shaking from head to toe as his eyes fell on the monster above him. He couldn’t see the sky anymore, only the dragon’s black scales. Impressive scars ran down the monster’s face and belly, proving that many people had tried to take him down, and that none had succeeded.

When the beast roared, Luka had to put his hands on his ears because of how loud it sounded. A ray of fire also escaped its jaw and Luka shook, only breathing again when this burning inferno didn’t reach him. The dragon landed in front of him, growling and showing its sharp teeth. Luka didn’t dare to move, paralyzed by fear, until he spotted a weird ornament hanging around the dragon’s neck.

It was a collar, a very expensive looking one at that. Diamonds and emeralds adorned it, but it looked painful, carving into the dragon’s scales and flesh. It was also glowing in a strange way, and this excited Luka’s curiosity, even though his instincts told him that he should rather think about his own survival. However, in spite of all self-preservation, he took a step towards the dragon to take a better look.

The dragon growled in warning, but Luka managed to get a good view on this object. His jaw dropped in surprise as he exclaimed:

“That’s a magical necklace!”

He immediately put a hand on his mouth, realizing that shouting in front of such a giant beast could be a bad idea. However, the dragon didn’t take it as a threat. On the contrary, he stared at Luka, lowering his head and the magician saw a flicker of intelligence in his deep, blue eyes.

“Wait, am I going crazy or… Can you understand me?”

The dragon immediately let out a powerful roar, so strong than Luka fell on his bottom. He shook in fear, thinking that his assumption had been foolish and that the dragon was going to devour him now. But when he looked at him again, the beast looked pained and embarrassed, not blood-thirsty. He slowly nodded his enormous head and Luka slowly stood back up, doing his best to look non-threatening.

“Were you… Were you trying to say yes?”

The dragon nodded again and this time, Luka stopped having doubts. The being in front of him was smart enough to understand him and communicate. Luka had studied enough at the Academy to know that it wasn’t something common for his kind.

“Listen, I can try to take that necklace off. Will you let me?”

Luka tried to take a step towards him, but the dragon growled once more. Though this time, Luka realized that he wasn’t being aggressive. Only scared. So he took his dagger out of his belt and threw it on the floor, to show the saurian that he wasn’t here to harm him.

“See, I only want to help you. Please, let me come near you.”

The dragon looked hesitant and he still showed his fangs when Luka took another step in his direction. The magician couldn’t really blame him, though. Considering all the scars on his flanks, maybe it wasn’t the first time someone tricked him into giving his trust, only to try to kill him. After all, cities paid well anyone who could bring a dragon’s head as trophy. The reptile was certainly expecting Luka to have some hidden weapon on him.

“Fine, if you take it like that…”

Luka took off his cape, then his tunic until he was shirtless, his chest showing. The dragon bowed his head to the side, confused.

“See, I’m not hiding any sword, or bow, or axe or anything you might be fearing. Now, can I come close so I can help you?”

Luka didn’t know how he would deal with another refusal. He didn’t like the idea of having to strip entirely under the eyes of a curious dragon. Thankfully, the dragon lowered his guard and his neck, allowing Luka to inspect the weird necklace. The magician grimaced once he saw from up-close how the metal was digging into the dragon’s flesh. This wasn’t natural, he could tell. This was the result of some enchantment. Tentatively, Luka reached for the dragon’s scales, before gently putting his hand on it. It was surprisingly warm, more than he expected. Once that he was sure that the dragon wouldn’t attack him, Luka gently petted him in a soothing way.

“Listen, I’ll try to take this necklace off, but he might hurt a bit. So even if it does, please try… Uh… Not eat me? That would be nice?”

The dragon moved his big head towards Luka and for a moment the young magician feared the worst, but he simply rubbed his snout against Luka affectionately. This made the magician laugh and he petted his head once more.

“So I guess it makes you, happy? Maybe try to keep your head away from me while I take that collar away, though?”

At that, the dragon growled again, but it was more sad than angry. Luka rolled his eyes but he kept on smiling.

“I’m not saying you would hurt me on purpose, you big idiot. But you’re huge and you might jerk off because of the pain. I wouldn’t want to die crushed because of it, do you understand?”

This time, the dragon nodded and he laid his head on the ground, far away from Luka. The magician took a deep breath. The enchantment looked complex, and he would have to use more than debutant magic to break the curse. It took him a minute to think on how to proceed, then he put a hand on the necklace and started his spell-casting. The words came to him easily, even though he could feel the necklace’s magic resisting against him.

At the same moment, the dragon let out a loud roar of pain. However, it didn’t raise any terror or panic in Luka’s heart, only regret that this poor creature had to suffer. It helped him to stay concentrated, determined that he was to free the dragon from his curse as soon as possible.

It took him a while, but finally, the clasp of the necklace broke and it fell from the dragon’s neck. It then shrugged in size, to the point where it didn’t look bigger than a regular necklace. Luka carefully took the object into his hand, but he soon forgot about it when he realized the collar wasn’t the only thing changing size.

A warm light surrounded the dragon, and Luka saw the reptile changing shape, becoming smaller and smaller. The magician put a hand in front of his eyes so he wouldn’t be blinded, waiting for the transformation to end. He blinked a few times, surprised when he found himself in front of a man laying on the ground, curled into a ball. As a magician, he had already experienced lots of weird things, but that was by far the most surprising.

However, the man bore on his skin the same scars as the dragon, which left no doubt about his identity. His injuries seemed painful though, now that they weren’t drawn on tough scales but on tender flesh. Luka quickly ran for his cape and took another vial stocked in it. Then he quickly came back to the stranger, helping him sit down.

“Here, drink this.”

The man sent him a confused looked, but he gulped the beverage down in one go, putting his trust in Luka. For some reason, this warmed his heart, and he felt even more proud when all of the man’s injuries started to disappear from his body, leaving his skin unmarked.

“How… How did you do that? It doesn’t hurt anymore! It’s been so long, I can barely remember a time when my body wasn’t hurting!”

“I gave you a healing potion, that’s why you’re feeling better. I’m Luka, by the way.”

He offered him a hand so the man could stand up, which he gladly accepted. Luka soon regretted though because the man was tall, handsome, and very, very naked. His long hair hang loose behind his back and Luka did his best to stare at his face and not at his broad chest or at… Other body parts.

He was already all flustered, but it didn’t get any better when the man suddenly hugged him, bringing their bare chests together. Luka yelped in surprise, startled by the strength of the arms encircling him.

“Thank you so much for saving me, Luka. You can’t imagine how it was, to be trapped in this body that wasn’t mine… You can ask whatever you want of me, and I’ll do it!”

“Then can I ask for your name?” The magician replied, his heart filled with joy at seeing the happiness on the former dragon’s face.

“My name? Sure. I’m… I’m Gareth.”

The name sounded almost foreign on his lips, and Luka didn’t miss Gareth’s struggle at remembering it. This time, all inappropriate thoughts left Luka’s mind as he gently rubbed the taller man’s back, trying his best to comfort him.

“It’s alright, Gareth, you’re safe now. I’ll take care of you until you find a way to go back to your home, okay?”

Luka hoped his words would help, but instead, Gareth sobs just grew stronger. The magician put a gentle hand on his cheek so that he would look at him. All the pain he saw in those tearful eyes filled him with rage. He wished he could put his hand on whoever gave Gareth that cursed necklace and make them pay for it.

“I… I don’t have anywhere to go back to… When I put this forsaken necklace on and turned into a dragon, I… I panicked and I… I destroyed half of my hometown. Even if I came back now, I’m sure no one would forgive me for what have I done!”

“Shh, it’s alright. This isn’t your fault. I live alone in my tower, you can stay there for as long as you’ll like. I’ll take care of you, Gareth, don’t worry.”

Luka kept holding him in his arms, only stopping when Gareth had no more tears to shed. He quickly put his clothes back on, swearing when he realized he couldn’t find his hat. Not that he cared much about it, but he knew everyone would send him weird look when he’ll go to Mario’s shop to buy a new one. Most people believed that the hats of magicians were powerful artifacts, after all.

He also carefully stored the necklace in his cape, well determined to study it once he went home. Luka needed to understand why someone would want to turn people into dragon. He expected some kind of personal revenge, but he didn’t feel like asking Gareth about any detail, not when the man already looked so broken.

“Do you feel strong enough to follow me all the way to my home? You’ll be able to rest there.”

“I can try.” Gareth offered, although it was clear that he didn’t know how to handle his new body.

It only took them a few steps for Luka to understand that this was going to be way more difficult than planned. Gareth quickly stumbled, his legs weak, and Luka barely caught him in time for him not to hurt himself.

“I’m sorry. It’s been so long since I had to walk like this, too.”

“It’s alright, don’t worry. I’ll just help you until it starts feeling natural, okay? Here, you can put an arm around my shoulder if it helps you stay grounded.”

Gareth did just that, but Luka was amazed by how gentle his touch felt compared to his height. He tried his best not to lay too much weight on the small magician, who wished he had some spell or potion to make thing easier. For now, that would have to do. For him, the hardest was still to make sure that his basket full of herbs wouldn’t fall and spill its content on the floor.

“What are those for?” Gareth asked after a while, trying to make the situation less awkward. Luka smiled happily at him, glad to see someone interested in his work.

“Oh, I use these herbs to make healing potions, just like the one you drank. I need plants that I can only find during summer to make it, though, that’s why I’m gathering as much of it as I can. The city guards refused to let me leave the city this morning, because they spotted a dragon… I mean, because they spotted you. But I really needed those herbs so I sneaked out anyway. I guess that was pretty reckless of me.”

“It certainly was but… Sorry if I’m being selfish, but I’m glad that you did. Without you, I could have spent years suffering and being hunted by men wanting to kill me. I owe you so much, Luka.”

“Don’t be stupid, you don’t owe me anything. Every magician would have…”

Luka stopped half-way through his sentence, knowing that what he was about to say wasn’t true. Upon finding a dragon like Gareth, most of them would have captured him in his reptilian form to study his scales, bones and blood or use it for their potions. Even now that he was human again, there was certainly some draconic magic left in him, and some magicians would kill to perform experiments on him right now. But Luka only saw a shaken and scarred man that he desperately wanted to help and protect.

“Don’t lie to me. I know just how lucky I am to have met someone like you.”

Gareth’s words went straight to his heart and Luka averted his eyes, smiling shyly at the praise.

The magician sighed in relief when the walls of the city finally appeared before them. However, he stopped before they got close enough for the guards to see them. When Gareth raised a confused eyebrow, he explained his reaction.

“No one here must know who you are or rather, what you were. It could bring you lots of troubles. Also, I wasn’t supposed to leave the city, remember? So we’re both going to drink an invisibility potion, okay?”

Gareth took a step back, scared. Luka hated the look of utter terror he could see on his face.

“What’s wrong, Gareth? Did I say something I shouldn’t have?”

“No, it’s just… I don’t feel comfortable dealing with magic after… After what happened to me.”

“But you drank my healing potion earlier. So why is it a problem now?”

“Well, when you gave it to me I had no idea it would have magical effects. You can call me stupid if you want. I get trapped for years into a dragon’s skin, and the first thing I do when I become human again is to drink a potion. I know I’m not the most clever guy out there.”

“Don’t say that about yourself! And I promise you no harm will come to you through this potion. I made it myself, in my caldron. I know exactly what ingredients I used for it. Please trust me, Gareth.”

He still looked resistant, but he took the vial Luka was offering him with a shaking hand. He brought it to his lips and drank slowly. With each drop, his body starting looking blurry before he completely disappeared from Luka’s sight.

“Is that all? I don’t feel any different.”

“Yeah, you’re invisible, it’s done. Now, please take my hand.”

“Sure, but why? I mean, I’m strong enough to stand on my own now.”

“Because in a second, I will be invisible too. Without me to guide you, you could get lost. So, what do you say?”

Instead of answering, Gareth intertwined his fingers with Luka’s. The young magician was startled when his heart started to beat faster, but he tried once more to just ignore the strange feeling.

“Okay, here we go.”

He emptied the other vial while thinking that he should make some more invisibility potion once he would be home. He didn’t want to risk any shortage.

“Let’s go.” He said warmly, smiling even though Gareth couldn’t see it.

They stayed silent so the guards wouldn’t suspect their presence. Luka noticed that Suba wasn’t at the guard post anymore, which reassured him. Lovre, Livi and Karlo did their job well, but they didn’t detect trouble as well as Suba yet. They still needed a bit more training, but Luka was convinced that they would do well soon enough.

Walking through the city and its more narrow streets proved to be difficult, though. Luka knew that they needed to hurry to get to his tower before losing their invisibility. Gareth’s nakedness would make people curious and they couldn’t have that.

However, they needed to make sure they wouldn’t stumble into people walking through the city. At one time, Gareth had to pull Luka towards him so the small magician wouldn’t be pulled over by a cart. He couldn’t see Gareth and so he let out a gasp of surprise when he collided with the man. His hands fell on the invisible chest and he blushed brightly when his index finger ended right on Gareth’s nipple. He quickly removed his hand, as if it had been burnt, glad that the invisibility spell was hiding the redness currently invading his face. However, their closeness didn’t leave him much choice and he had to put his hands lower on his chest.

They waited for a few minute like that, stuck against one another, waiting for the street to be less crowded. Then they rushed towards Luka’s tower, the magician helping his new friend. Once they reached the building, Luka fumbled with his keys, quickly opening the door and closing it behind them right before the invisibility spell wore off.

“Wow, that was close.” Luka let out, out of breath.

“I shouldn’t say that, but running like that and trying not to get caught was kinda fun. I haven’t felt like that in a while.” Gareth replied, a happy smile on his lips.

“Oh, that’s good! Wait, I’ll go find some clothes for you. You can’t keep running around naked like that!”

Gareth looked down on himself, almost surprised by Luka’s words. Then he nodded, agreeing with him.

“Yes, that would be for the best. I got so used to not wearing clothes when I was a dragon that I didn’t even notice something was wrong. Looks like it’s something I’ll have to learn to get used to again. Are you sure you’ll have anything my size, though?”

At that question, Luka couldn’t help but stare once more at Gareth’s strong, tall body. He forced himself to concentrate on helping Gareth, though. The other man was still traumatized, he didn’t need to think Luka saw as some kind of piece of meat. He had the body of a god, sure, but Luka was way more interested in the person hiding behind those sculpted abs and piercing blue eyes, in his fears and feelings. He wanted to do everything so that Gareth would feel at home here.

“It won’t be a problem. Many magicians lived in this tower before me and some of them left their clothes here. I’m sure we’ll manage to find something that will suit you. Follow me.”

Rummaging through old closets took them a while, but they finally found clothes big enough for Gareth. Of course, they were magicians clothes and he looked a little bit off in it, but it was still better than nothing. However, Luka didn’t miss how Gareth kept on yawning, even though he never complained.

“You look tired. The transformation must have exhausted you. Follow me, you can sleep in my bed until I clean a room for you.”

“I don’t want to be a bother…”

“You won’t be. I’m a magician, I don’t get much sleep, and I planned on making potions late in the night anyway. Some of them need to be brewed under a certain moon. I don’t want to bore you with all this magical stuff, though.”

“That’s not boring, not at all. That knowledge you have is precious. It would have sparred me so much trouble, if I had been as intelligent as you…”

“Hey, hey, wait, don’t start blaming yourself! This isn’t about intelligence or anything like that! I was just lucky enough to meet a magician who accepted to pass his heritage onto me. What happened wasn’t your fault, Gareth. Someone clearly tricked you into wearing this thing so you would turn into a dragon.”

At these words, Luka saw Gareth closing up again and he understood that he wouldn’t get anything more out of him today. He was already shaken enough, no need to make him revive the moment that had led to his transformation.

“I… I’m not sure I want to talk about it.”

“Of course, I don’t want to force you into doing anything you would feel uncomfortable with. Just know that I’m here for you if you need to talk. I’m going to show you your room, now. This way.”

Once more, Luka felt a rush of pride when Gareth almost cried in happiness into seeing his huge bed. Luka himself didn’t like the furniture, finding it too big for his small frame. He quickly changed his mind when Gareth happily jumped onto the mattress though, bewilderment in his eyes.

“Damn, it has been so long since I last slept in a real bed. I would often have to rest on cold rocks, in the open, or in a cave when I was lucky. Staying in the mountains was the safest. I was dying of cold, but at least it was difficult for the hunters to find me there…”

Gareth shivered at the bad memories, a shadow darkening his bright eyes. Luka went to sit on the bed next to him and he wrapped an arm around him in a comforting gesture. The taller man accepted his soothing attempt without any protest and even rested his head against Luka’s shoulder.

“It pains me so much, to know all you have been through… But I swear you will never have to endure that again. I’ll take care of you.”

“I now, Luka, thank you. Thank you so much. You are my personal miracle.”

Gareth hugged him once more as Luka patted his back and the magician heartbeat suddenly went crazy. He still couldn’t believe the admiration he spotted in Gareth’s eyes when he looked at him.

“You should sleep now. I need to go make those potions I told you about.”

“Oh, okay.” Gareth agreed, although he let go of Luka a bit reluctantly. “Don’t exhaust yourself, though. I still need the help of my savior.”

“Don’t call me that!” He protested, embarrassed.

Gareth didn’t argue, but from his attitude, Luka could tell that it wouldn’t be the last time he heard that nickname. Before he left the room, he could see the man getting comfy and curling up under the covers. This sight brought Luka a sense of peace and a tender smile illuminated his face when he closed the door.


	2. Chapter 2

The magician found his potion making way more arduous than usual, even though there wasn’t really anything complicated about it. Luka knew the recipes by heart and he shouldn’t have been able to make a mistake. Problem was, he couldn’t concentrate well when all his mind was set on thinking about Gareth, about how he could help to make him feel welcome in his tower. More that once, Luka stopped himself only a second right before putting the wrong ingredient in his caldron. He hated this, hated the influence Gareth already had on him, but at the same time, he had no wish of chasing away the warm feeling slowly settling in his belly.

After what felt like and eternity, he managed to finish a healing potion. He was busy putting it all in vials when he heard someone climbing up the tower. At first, he was startled and even started casting a protection spell, but he relaxed when Gareth appeared, his hair in disarray and a tired look on his face.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you again so fast! Do you need something?”

“No, it’s just that… I can’t sleep, so I thought that maybe I could stay here with you. If it isn’t a problem, of course.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to try to get some sleep? You look like you need it.”

Gareth bit his lip, a sudden shyness overcoming him as he stared at the ground.

“Please, I… I don’t really want to be alone right now.”

Luka didn’t ask if it was because of memories or nightmares. The answer didn’t matter. The only thing he needed right now was a way to make Gareth feel better.

“Alright, no need to panic. You can stay here as long as you want. Does it bother you if I prepare some potions while you’re here, though? The herbs I collected earlier will wilt quickly and I wouldn’t want to waste any of it.”

“Of course you can! You saved my life, Luka, I wouldn’t dare tell you how to live. You’re already so kind for welcoming me in your home…”

“Oh, that’s great, then. You can sit on that chair over there. I wouldn’t want to leave my guest standing around.”

Gareth laughed awkwardly at the word guest, as if he didn’t deem himself worthy of it. Luka frowned, but he decided to let it slide for once. He would have all the time in the world later to teach Gareth to regain confidence.

Luka snapped his fingers, lighting a new magic fire under his caldron, different in intensity compared to the last one. Gareth’s eyes grew wide and even though this was only a minor spell, Luka felt all proud of himself for impressing the man.

“H-How did you do that?”

“Magic. I master this spell well enough so I don’t have to use the formula for it anymore. That’s cute though, how you’re marveling over this when not so long ago, you could spit fire as you wished.”

Luka realized too late that talking about his time spent in dragon skin could have hurt Gareth. He was about to apologize when the man let out a sincere laugh, putting an end to his worries.

“You’re right, I didn’t think about it that way. So what are you making?”

“What?”

“You said you were making a potion. What kind? If you want to tell me, of course.”

“Oh, yes, sure! Sorry, this day has been crazy and I’m still struggling to get myself together. I’m making new invisibility potions, to replace the ones I used earlier.”

“That’s great! I never knew magicians could use those kind of things!”

“It’s because most of us keep it a secret.” Luka explained as he dropped leaves into the caldron. “Not so long ago, some king decided that magicians were dangerous for the well-being of the country and he decided to have them hunted and killed. Thankfully, he didn’t rule for long and his heir was a wiser and gentler man than him, but still, many magicians died. Since then, me and other wizards decided to keep some of our talents secret from the common people. That includes them not knowing that we can make invisibility potion, in case we need to flee from a mob.”

“Oh, I get it, trust me. So many people tried to kill me back when I was a dragon, even when I wasn’t threatening anyone. I couldn’t settle in a nest for long, or hunters would come to hurt me… Anyway, what I want to say is that your secret is safe with me, Luka. I’ll never tell anyone about this, not if it can put you in danger.”

“I had no doubt of that. I’m sure you’re a kind and thoughtful man, Gareth.”

The moment the praise left Luka’s mouth, they both blushed and went silent for a while, the sound of water boiling being the only thing breaking the silence. But then, Gareth stood up and took a look past Luka’s shoulder, curious.

“I don’t want to sound rude or anything, but… You could show me how it’s done?”

“What, the potion?”

“Yes. I don’t want to be a burden for you, but it would help me to spend time while doing something interesting, you know.”

“Do you really want to? I mean, I thought you were afraid of magic?”

“That’s exactly why I want you to explain this to me. That way, people won’t be able to hurt me with magic anymore, not if I can predict how it works.

Once more, Gareth looked on edge, dark memories feeling his mind. But this time, Luka grinned as an idea made its way through his mind.

“Oh, then I have an even better idea than just showing you how it works. There’s no better way to understand magic than by practicing it yourself. You will help me chop herbs and other ingredients I need. That way, I’ll be able to work quicker and to use all the plants I gathered without wasting any. Does that sound good to you?”

It didn’t take more for Gareth to beam with joy, which immediately assured Luka that he had said the right thing. He sighed in relief, content to bring some happiness to this man who had already suffered too much.

“I would love that! Working with you sounds fun, and that way I can repay you for everything you gave me.”

“You don’t have to, Gareth. I’ll say it again, you don’t owe me anything and…”

“Yeah, right. But please give me a knife so I can take care of those herbs.”

Luka rolled his eyes, but he complied to Gareth’s request. They settled on a nearby table and started cutting the herbs. However, the magician quickly frowned and stopped his own work, staring at Gareth.

“No, you’re doing it wrong. You need to cut it… Not like that! Wait, let me show you.”

Luka left his chair and went next to Gareth. The taller man had a sheepish look on his face, clearly sorry for not getting it right on his first try. However, it soon turned to shock when Luka put his hand on his, as gentle as possible. He gripped at the fingers holding the knife, guiding them so Gareth would get the right wrist movement.

“See, like that? You really have to cut the herbs in small parts.”

Luka repeated the gesture a few times, trying his best to ignore how big Gareth’s hands were under to his. After a while, he let go of Gareth and observed how he was chopping the herbs. He felt proud when his unexpected student got it right and raised his eyes towards him, silently asking for validation.

“Now that’s perfect. I’ll go back to my own stack and once we’re done, I’ll show you how to make the potion itself.”

They kept working late in the night, only stopping when the first lights of dawn started appearing through the small windows of the tower. By then, they were both exhausted and Luka could barely keep his eyes open. However, he was still intent on making more potions.

“There… There are still herbs we can use. Please give me that vial over there” He yawned, giving indications to Gareth.

His new friend had helped him all night, but this time he refused to comply, a stern look on his face.

“No, we’re not making another potion. We’re too tired, Luka, I’m pretty sure we’ll mess it up anyway. It’s time to go to bed.”

“No, I… I can make another!”

With his hair disheveled from hours of works and the dark circles under his eyes, Luka certainly didn’t look in his right mind. He was ready to argue for hours straight about it when Gareth lifted him as if he didn’t weight anything. Luka gasped in fear and surprise, although the methodical part of his mind wondered if Gareth was really that strong, or if this was just a side effect of the spell he had been submitted to.

“Gareth! What are you doing?”

“I’m taking you to bed, since obviously you don’t know how to take care of yourself.”

 

Luka was about to kick his back and wiggle in hope Gareth would release him, but then he decided against it. Maybe they had spent a nice evening together, but that didn’t erase Gareth’s trauma. For all Luka knew, any sign of violence could trigger a bad reaction out of him. So he chose to capitulate even though it cost him.

“Fine, I’m going to bed. Can you put me down on the floor, now?”

“Do you promise you won’t try to go back to your potions?”

“I promise. Just let me take care of the fire first. You don’t want magical burns, I can assure you.”

Gareth put him down on the floor and Luka quickly snapped his fingers. The fire died, but at the same moment, Luka felt lightheaded and he stumbled, almost falling on Gareth. The taller man caught him in his strong arms, but it took Luka a few minutes to come back to his senses.

“Luka? Are you alright? Please answer me!” Gareth asked him worryingly while shaking him by the shoulders.

Luka opened a lazy eye, although it took him all his strength to do it. He let his head rest against Gareth’s chest, using him as a pillow.

“You were right… I was more tired than I thought… This last spell drained me of all my energy. It’s alright, though. I just need to sleep a few hours and everything will go back to normal. Please don’t laugh at me, but… Can you take me to my room? I’m not sure I can walk right now.”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

“Yes… I just used too much magic… Please, Gareth…”

He was still worried but he gently took Luka into his arms, holding him close and making sure to be able to see his face, chasing any trace of pain on it. Thankfully, he found none and Luka only nuzzled against Gareth sleepily, unconsciously trying to get closer to his warmth. In no time, he was already asleep, even snoring a little in Gareth’s arms.

The man couldn’t help but smile and he even dared to run a hand through Luka’s golden locks, ruffling his hair. The young magician stirred in contentment as Gareth carried him to his bedroom. There, he laid him on the covers then went to blow the candle lighting the room. Since he was tired himself, Gareth took the other side of the bed. He wasn’t sure he would be able to get any sleep, though, not when he was still haunted from his past. His human mind worked way faster than his dragon’s one, which also meant that he now realized just how awful his life had been these last few years. It wasn’t a nice thought and he was about to cry when he felt small arms wrapping around him.

Luka was asleep, but he still looked very determined to use Gareth as his personal pillow. He tried to push him away, but Luka frowned in his sleep and came back, only to hold him tighter. Gareth laughed at seeing him so clingy, the sight of Luka cuddling against him leaving no place for his dark musings.

“You can stay here if you want, I guess. It’s your bed after all.” He chuckled.

The sleepy magician rested his head on Gareth’s chest, and the former dragon wrapped an arm around his small frame so they would be more comfortable. Contrary to what he feared, it didn’t take long for Gareth to start drifting off as well in his position. And when he finally closed his eyes, no nightmare came to plague his sleep.

“Luka! Are you here?”

The loud shouting woke up Gareth and he groaned, rolling around in the bed only to realize that his limbs were still entangled with Luka’s. The magician slowly opened his eyes, squinting them because they hurt from the lack of sleep. He didn’t have time to realize in which position he was, all curled up around Gareth, before someone slammed the bedroom door open.

Out of instinct, Gareth pulled Luka closer to him, ready to protect him if the invader tried to hurt him. For a moment, he forgot that he was now human and almost bared his teeth to the intruder, ready to fight for the magician if needed. However, he quickly understood that there would be no need for that when Luka’s eyes grew wide with surprise, but not with fear.

“Suba? What are you doing here? I mean, couldn’t you knock?”

“I knocked a thousands times at the door of your damn tower and you didn’t answer! Some people from the city found this outside and said they had seen a magician fighting with a dragon. I thought… I thought you were…”

The moment Luka realized that his friend was holding his hat, he woke up completely, although he didn’t try to free himself of Gareth’s protective arms, too shocked by what he was seeing. He needed to find a way out of this, so that Suba wouldn’t suspect that yes, he had been outside the city, and had even taken the dragon with him. Right into his bed.

Now that he was thinking about it, it sounded highly inappropriate.

“Look, Danijel, I can explain…”

“Oh, no need for that. I can see that my order to stay in the city didn’t bother you so much, yesterday. Who is he, by the way?”

“I swear, this is not what you think! This is Gareth, he’s my… My… My new apprentice! He assisted me in potion making yesterday! He can tell you that I’m not lying!”

Gareth didn’t help, though. He tried to confirm Luka’s version, but now he was well aware of his regained human body and of how it was draped all over the small magician. He was blushing and stuttering, all too conscious of their compromising position. Him and Luka couldn’t even communicate well enough to entangle themselves from one another. Suba raised an eyebrow, not convinced by their explanations.

“There’s nothing wrong about you having a boyfriend, Luka. I just wished you shared that information with your old childhood friend earlier, so that I wouldn’t have to discover it like that. I only wanted to make sure that you were alright. I’ll leave you two to… Whatever you were doing.”

“We weren’t doing anything!” Luka cried out, but Suba didn’t stay to listen to him

Luka fell back into the bed, or rather, into Gareth’s chest, sighing.

“Great, now my best friend believes you’re my secret lover.”

“I’m sorry, Luka, I hope this won’t cause you any trouble. I should have pushed you away yesterday night, please forgive me, I’m just a burden for you…”

“Hey, stop. I don’t want to hear anything like that coming from you. The only one at fault here for whatever might have happened yesterday is me. I pushed past my own limits and it obviously affected my behavior. You don’t have to blame yourself for any of it. And to be honest, Suba believing you’re my boyfriend is a better thing than having him suspect your real identity. Also, now I won’t have to buy myself a new hat.”

Luka pointed at the hat his friend had forgotten in the room. He got up from the bed and took it in his hands, making sure it wasn’t damaged. He then looked down at his own body and at his clothes he didn’t take off for the night. He groaned, clearly displeased with himself.

“I’m sorry, you must think I’m such a mess, but I swear I’m not, usually I’m a quite organized magician and…”

“You don’t have to justify yourself. I guess having me crash into your life mustn’t easy. But, can I ask something of you? It will certainly sound greedy and I know you weren’t really offering, but…”

“Just spit it out. What is it you want?”

“Could I become your apprentice? I feel happy being here, in this tower, and I feel happy being around you. So I thought that maybe…”

When he saw the surprised look on Luka’s face, Gareth expected rejection. He was about to say that he was sorry, that he shouldn’t have asked, but Luka didn’t give him enough time.

“Take you as my apprentice? Sure, I could do that. I mean, usually magicians choose to train teenagers because they learn things more easily, but you weren’t doing bad yesterday. And with the time you spent under a spell, you must have an affinity with magic, I can’t see any other way. So yes, from now on you’re my apprentice, Gareth. It won’t be as exciting as one might imagine a magician’s life to be, though. There will be lots of gathering herbs and other ingredients, making potions, also keeping an eye on the city’s politicians…”

“Wow, calm down. I’m alright with that too. I’m just happy you’re offering me a place to settle down and a way to start a new life. I know I’m asking for too much, but…”

“Not at all! I mean… It got lonely, you know, living in this tower all alone. There used to be so much more people studying here, back when I was an apprentice myself, but now they’re all gone… I’m sure it will be great, to share my roof with another person again. Especially since you seem to be a very nice guy.”

“I was one step away from burning you to death when we first met!”

“No one can be perfect.”

Luka sent him a playful wink and Gareth felt his cheeks growing red. He tried his best to put Suba’s assumptions about his relationship with Luka at the back of his mind. The small magician was already giving him so much, Gareth couldn’t be selfish enough to wish for more, even if the man was growing on him, so quickly that it almost frightened him.

“Well, I’m pretty sure Suba won’t let me go out of the city today, so how about we check the ingredients I keep in my storage? I always postpone it because doing it alone is a hassle, but with you helping me, it will be different. And later today, we can go to Mario’s shop to buy new clothes for you.”

“But, didn’t you say it was better if people didn’t see me?”

“That was true, yesterday, but now that Suba assumes you’re my lover, it isn’t really a problem anymore. We just have to invent some story about where you come from.”

“Wait, so you mean we’re gonna do it? Play fake boyfriends?”

“To be honest, I don’t think we will have to do anything. People will assume things just by seeing us together. Also, as I said, an apprentice your age would look suspicious no matter what.”

“Oh, I see.”

“But then again, maybe we could hold hands from time to time while going out in the city. You know. Just to make sure.”

“Yeah, we could do that. Of course. No problem.”

Gareth smiled at Luka, trying to ignore how his fingers tingled just by thinking about how he might get to hold his hand again later today.

To Luka’s amazement, it didn’t take long for Gareth to get used to his routine. His apprentice didn’t mind the slow, peaceful life of a magician. On the contrary, he liked to spend hours in their tower, listing the ingredients the wizard was keeping there. It went from simple herbs to the most surprising things, and sometimes Luka would even tell him the story of each object. Gareth loved to listen to his voice and to stare at Luka’s graceful features when the wizard was too entranced by his own tale to notice.

He also learned to know all the people Luka spent time with when he wasn’t busy working in his tower. Suba and Mario, of course, but also other friends and customers of the magician. He was quite appreciated in the city, but Gareth couldn’t help but feel like he was walking on eggs while talking to them. Despite everything, he couldn’t get Luka’s words out of his mind. If these men were to learn about his former dragon nature, they would certainly chase them out of their city, if not worse. Exactly like Gareth’s old friends would do if he tried to go back home one day.

Time went by and they spent several weeks together, not once getting annoyed by the other. Luka never cleaned a room for Gareth like he had promised him on the day they met, though. They kept on sharing the same bed night after night. They would stay apart at first, but somehow, Luka would always find a way to move so he could cling onto Gareth. There was a silent agreement between them though and they never talked about it in the morning so that it wouldn’t feel awkward between them. Gareth was thankful about it though, because he quickly found out that he just couldn’t sleep without holding Luka in his arms. The magician brought him a sense of safety, and even though he loved the tower, its old books and weird smokes coming from boiling caldrons, he knew it was only home to him because Luka lived there too.

Today was a calm morning. They had no command to fulfill, no herbs to go collect, so they could laze in bed late. As usual, Luka was sprawled over Gareth, holding him tightly. His apprentice was still fast asleep and the magician stole glances at him from time to time. He knew that this was certainly wrong. Gareth was putting his trust in him, and here Luka was lusting after me. Well, maybe more than lusting, to say the truth. He loved living with Gareth, loved hearing him laugh at his witful remarks, loved seeing his eyes shine with interest each time he was teaching him something new.

An idea popped in his mind and he quietly got out of bed then put his clothes on, all while keeping a tender look on his friend. The town’s bakery was just a street away from the tower, he could go there and bring something for breakfast before Gareth would even wake up. Luka hoped he would enjoy the surprise.

Also, it would be the occasion for the magician to greet Milan and Domagoj and to talk a little with them. They hadn’t seen each other in a while and he would hate to lose contact with any of his friends because of his work. It would also be the occasion to check if Domo needed any magic to repair damage caused to his shop. He was an audacious baker, but sometimes mixing rakija with everything didn’t give out the best results.

He came back less than an hour later, with a bag full of pastries and his hair full of flour because Domo decided to take revenge on him for not visiting sooner. Nothing that a good bath wouldn’t solve, though. However, he decided to bring Gareth his good morning surprise first.

The moment he pushed the door of the bedroom open, he understood that leaving him alone had been a very bad idea.

Gareth was shaking badly, terror etched on his face. The pastries fell from Luka’s hands as he hurried to get on the bed so he could hug Gareth. Tears were streaming down his face, but he calmed down a little when Luka started gently massaging his shoulders in a soothing gesture.

“What’s happening, Gareth? What is wrong?”

“Nothing, it was just… Just a nightmare…”

“Please, be honest with me. This was obviously worse than a simple nightmare, or you wouldn’t be in such a state. Can I do something to help?”

“I was dreaming about… About the day I got cursed. About how I got that necklace.”

“Do you want to talk about it? I won’t force you if you don’t want to.”

“No, I… I think I need to let it out, it’s just… I don’t want to bother you with my problems.”

“Gareth, how many times will I have to tell you that you’re not bothering me? Just talk to me, please.”

“Alright. I got that thing as a birthday present. I was quite popular in my hometown, I was part of nobility, actually, so I received a lots of gifts. Usually, I would just sell the useless ones to get money I would give away to charities. That thing got my eye, though, because I found it strange, to have someone offer me a necklace like this one. My friends noticed it too and started joking about it, asking me to put it on. I should have just refused, I should have thrown it away like the rest, I should have known some people were trying to reach the rich families of the city, to hurt me and my friends…”

Gareth broke into sobs and Luka wrapped his arms around him, at a loss for word. He should have guessed someone harmed Gareth on purpose, that he didn’t end up finding an enchanted necklace out of the blue. But it still revolted him to know that someone had ruined his friend’s life on purpose.

“The second I wore that damn necklace… The second I turned into that… Into that monster… The whole house was destroyed. Even now, I don’t even know if some of my friends survived or if… Or if I killed them all. I don’t deserve everything you’re giving me, this wonderful life I have now… Not when I’m a murderer.”

“Oh Gareth, please don’t say that. You’re not a killer. There’s only one person guilty here, and it’s the one who sent you that cursed necklace, knowing what it would do to you. I’m so sorry you had to suffer so much, but I swear I’ll protect you now. I won’t let any harm come to you.”

Gareth looked up at him, teary eyes full of gratitude and for a second, Luka considered just leaning him and tasting his lips. There was something special about this moment, something that couldn’t be described in words. He got an inch closer to Gareth, ready to part his mouth, but then he decided against it and settled for resting his head on his shoulder in a silent, supportive embrace.

He loved him, he was sure of it now, but he didn’t want to confess his feelings to Gareth while the other man was so vulnerable. His friend deserved more than that. Also, Luka couldn’t take the risk of making him feel uncomfortable at staying in the tower if he didn’t share his feelings.

“I’m here, Gareth. I’ll always be here for you, don’t worry.”

Gareth nodded shakily, then he wiped the tears out of his eyes, trying his best to appear strong.

“So, what have you been doing this morning? Did you work on a new spell, was it why you were up so early?”

“No, I just went out to buy you something to eat. I would have stayed by your side, though, if I had known how bad you were feeling.”

“It’s okay, I’m alright now. How about we eat that together now? It smells good all the way from here. By the way, you have flour in your hair, I think you should wash it.”

“Don’t tell me about it.” Luka laughed, before going to grab the bag and put it between him and Gareth.

They started eating, big goofy grins on their faces, as Gareth made joke after joke about the disastrous state of Luka’s hair. It slowly but surely soothed Gareth’s pain and soon enough, they were ready to start the day, with Luka being as enthusiastic as ever to teach his favorite student about new spells and potions.


	3. Chapter 3

From this moment, Gareth started to get better and Luka could see that he was slowly healing. He still liked to hold the magician against him at night, but he could finally sleep without him and not be plagued by nightmares and bad memories. He also started growing more confident and this helped to accelerate his learning of magic. Luka was each day a little more amazed by his progresses, just like he was falling more and more for him.

He tried not to let it impact their everyday life, but he knew this couldn’t go on forever. One day, he would have to tell Gareth the truth. And maybe that would be the day when his friend would leave forever. For now, Luka refused to think about it, mainly because he was planning something big, something that would take him lots of time. One day, as they were brewing potions together, he decided it was finally time for him to talk about it with Gareth.

“You know, Gaz, I have something to tell you…”

His friend immediately raised his head so he could stare at Luka, almost knocking the caldron over in the process. He muttered a few words of excuses, embarrassed but also a little eager to hear what this was about.

“Go ahead, then.”

“I’ll have to leave on a trip soon, and I wondered if you could take care of the tower when I’m gone.”

Happiness disappeared from Gareth’s face, only to be replaced by sadness and confusion. He tried to hide it as best as he could though, so he wouldn’t disappoint Luka. It was all his fault for expecting too much, for somehow imagining that the magician was about to declare his feelings towards him. He couldn’t blame Luka for that.

“Can’t I come with you?”

“I’m sorry, Gareth, I would love for you to come with me, but I need someone here to make new potions. See it as a reward for all your hard work. I’m letting you be in charge and I’m trusting you not to blow up the tower while I’m gone.”

Gareth smiled at that little joke, but it was forced and only so that Luka wouldn’t feel bad about himself. He knew it was selfish of him and that he shouldn’t think like that. Luka didn’t belong to him, he was allowed to live his own life, to travel out of his tower whenever he wanted. That didn’t change anything to the fact that Gareth would miss him, though.

“Yeah, I can take care of that, no worry. When are you leaving?”

“I was thinking about tomorrow morning? Except if you want me to wait a few days so you can get used to the idea. My goal isn’t to make things complicated for you and…”

“No, no, you can leave tomorrow, it’s alright. I’ll take care of everything, don’t worry.”

Gareth didn’t believe in his own words. He would have giving anything for Luka to tell him that he was only tricking him, that he wasn’t going anywhere. But the smaller man only nodded, a thankful smile on his beautiful lips.

“Thank you, Gareth, I knew I could count on you. Now let’s get to work, shall we?”

His apprentice eagerly accepted, hoping that it would help him to take his mind off Luka’s departure. Sadly, the complete opposite happened. He didn’t manage to cast one spell right and all his potions ended up ruined because he couldn’t concentrate on what he was doing, not when he was too busy mourning those few days he would spend without Luka.

The magician didn’t get mad at him for his failures, though, always staying kind and patient. This gentleness didn’t help Gareth at all. The more perfect Luka was, the less he wanted to let him go away.

That night, for the first time, it was him who clinged onto Luka and not the other way around. At one point, he started crying, but he made sure to stay silent so it wouldn’t wake up his friend. He hated this, hated himself for wishing for more when Luka had already given him so much. However, he couldn’t help but notice small details, like how well Luka small body fitted in his arms, or how his smell, a sweet combination of different herb scents, made Gareth lose his mind.

In the morning, they both dressed up in silence, not knowing how to say their goodbyes. It was only when Luka was standing outside the door of the tower, a bag thrown over his shoulder, that Gareth found his words again.

“Are you sure you have everything you need? Maybe you should check a second time, I wouldn’t want you to lack food during your travel or…”

“Calm down, Gareth, it’ll be alright. I’m used to traveling on my own, I know how to take care of myself, trust me. I’ll also stop by Ante’s inn before leaving the region, if by then I realize that I’m missing something he will help me with it. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”

“Still, be careful, okay? The roads are dangerous, and you’re small and I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you…”

On another day, Luka would have gotten angry because of the comment about his height. However, he knew that Gareth didn’t mean to hurt him and that he was only speaking out of worry for him.

“Of course, I’ll be prudent, I promise. I packed a few invisibility potions just in case, if it can reassure you. Now, I need to leave before it gets too late, I wouldn’t want to travel by night. Goodbye Gareth, I swear I’ll be back so- Oh!”

Luka let out a gasp of surprise when Gareth engulfed him in a tight, almost painful hug. He couldn’t see the tears threatening to roll down his friend’s cheeks, but he heard them in his voice.

“Goodbye, Lukita. Please, come back quickly.”

When Gareth released him, Luka simply nodded. He knew that if they exchanged any more words, he would change his mind and stay here with Gareth, maybe forever. But he knew he had to leave, for both their sakes. So he stepped away and began his travel without looking back, his magician hat on his head.

For Gareth, those few days without Luka were a real torture. He forced himself to go out in town, to take future commands from Luka’s friends, because he would have gone crazy by spending all his time alone in the tower. The whole place screamed of Luka’s influence and it felt incredibly weird to be there without his teacher. Was it how Luka felt every day, remembering this place when other people lived in it and regretting the old times? If yes, Gareth made the silent promise to help his friend to feel less lonely in here when he would come back.

He worked hard so Luka would feel proud of him, too, but nothing really managed to fill the void left by his friend’s absence. At night, he wasn’t plagued by nightmares about his past anymore, but he would dream that he was happy, holding Luka in his arms while the smaller man smiled happily at him, only to wake up to an empty bed.

He quickly started counting the days, and he got angry at himself when he realized he had forgotten to ask Luka how long his trip would be. He quickly became more and more paranoid, fearing the worse for his friend. He realized that Luka didn’t tell him where he was going as well. That stressed him out even more. He started asking Luka’s friends if they had any idea of where he was supposed to go, but none of them knew. This time, he really panicked when he understood that if something bad happened to Luka, no one knew where to search for him.

Once he realized that, Gareth’s nights became even worse. He would wake up in sweat, his mind filled with images of Luka being attacked by thieves, dragons or even other magicians. Even preparing potions and cleaning the tower didn’t help anymore to take his mind off those dark thoughts. He really thought he was going crazy when he finally heard someone knocking on the door of the tower.

He tried to contain his hopes so he wouldn’t be too disappointed. Maybe it wasn’t Luka, maybe it was only a customer coming here to ask for a special potion and…

He opened the door. Luka was there. Gareth jumped into his arms and started crying into his shoulder.

“You’re back! You’re back!”

“Wow, calm down. It’s okay, Gareth, I’m here. I’m here…”

Luka wrapped his arms around him and started caressing Gareth’s back, keeping the motion up until his friend’s breathing evened down. His apprentice didn’t let go of him though, almost as if he feared Luka would disappear the moment he would release him.

“I was beginning to think that… That something bad happened to you… That you would never come back… I was so worried, you have no idea…”

“I promised you I would come back, though, didn’t I? I’m fine, Gareth. Nothing bad happened to me.”

“I know, I’m sorry for doubting you, but I… I don’t know what I would do if you were to disappear. You mean so much to me, Luka.”

“Shh, no need to get all sentimental now. Will you please stop crying? There’s something I need to show you.”

“Please, just let me hold you… Just a few minutes more…”

“Alright, but then you really to come and see the surprise I have in store for you.”

Gareth nodded his agreement, basking in the warm feeling of holding Luka in his arms. They stayed like that for a bit longer, but then Luka gently pushed him away, to his disappointment.

“I know you’re happy to see me, but I’m sure you’ll thank me later for this, trust me.”

Luka sounded impatient and he took Gareth’s hand in his to guide him a few meters away from the tower. His apprentice followed him obediently, not knowing what to expect. However, he stopped in his tracks, frozen, when a man he knew way too well appeared in front of him.

“M… Marce?”

“Gareth!”

His old friend didn’t waste any second and pulled him into a strong hug. Luka took a step back so he wouldn’t get in the way, although a part of him couldn’t help but be jealous when he saw how happy Gareth looked. He tried to shut it down as best as he could. Gareth deserved to meet people from his old life, at least so he could forgive himself. Even if it meant that he might abandon Luka to go with them.

“How can you be here? I… I thought you were dead! I though… I thought I had killed you!”

“Sorry Gaz, getting rid of me isn’t that easy!” The other man laughed, but he couldn’t hide his eyes, shining with tears.

“Why did you come here? Wait, did the people of the council ask you to look for me so they would make me pay for my crimes?” Gareth asked, suddenly tensed.

“What crimes? Don’t say stupid things! You’re not guilty of anything! We were all so happy when your magician friend arrived and told us you were alive and safe! All these years, we’ve been looking for you, Gaz!”

“Don’t act as if you don’t know what I’m talking about, Marcelo. I killed our friends! And I almost killed you too…”

The other man blinked, startled, then he put a hand on his shoulder.

“You’re not making any sense, Gareth. You didn’t kill anyone.”

“Of course, I did! When I turned into that dragon, I did so much damage…”

“Only material damages, Gaz. We still don’t know how you managed to do that, but even though the building was ruined, we were all unscathed. Not even a scratch. Maybe you don’t remember it, but you made sure that all of us were safe before you ran away to escape the city guards, before we explained to them who you really were. No one died because of you. I’m here to tell you that you can come back home whenever you want to.”

“Wait, so you traveled all the way from here just to see me?”

“Yep. What else did you expect of me?”

This time, Gareth couldn’t keep his tears in anymore. He started sobbing loudly and Marcelo wrapped an arm around his shoulder, all the while telling him that it was alright, that his struggles were over now, that he was welcome to come back to his family.

As he watched the scene from afar, Luka wanted to cry too, but for completely different reasons.

Gareth spent the whole day catching up with this friend, but once it got dark Marcelo decided to go find a place to sleep in the city rather than stay in the magician’s tower. His friend was a little surprised, but once they were alone, Luka quickly explained why to him.

“You don’t seem to know the history of this city well, but your friend does. There was a war here, a long time ago. During that time, magicians and all those who helped them were killed. I was a kid at the time, just a young apprentice, but thankfully I managed to escape. Many were not that lucky. Since then, superstition say that magician towers are haunted because of what happened back then. Marcelo saw his best friend being turned into a dragon, I understand that he doesn’t want to mess with magic.”

“But wait, so that trip of yours… You went to my hometown?”

Luka sighed and sat down at their shared table, hoping Gareth wouldn’t get mad at him. Maybe today would be the end of their friendship, but it was now or never.

“Yes. I’m sorry for not telling you, but I didn’t want to give you any false hope, just like I couldn’t take you with me in case you were right about people there wanting to kill you. Instead, they almost jumped at me out of happiness when I told them you were alive. They care about you, Gareth. I would understand if you… If you decided to go live with them.”

“Wait, so you mean you don’t want me here anymore? I thought… I thought I was your apprentice!”

Luka shook his head, taking his time to choose his next words wisely.

“Of course you’re my apprentice, Gareth, and I would like nothing more than for you to stay here. But I fear you might change your mind about it.”

“Why? Why would I change my mind about staying here and learning from you? I’ve never been more happy than since I’ve met you, Luka. Also, going back to my hometown could be dangerous. The person who gave me that necklace could still be lurking around and…”

“That’s not a problem anymore. I’ve talked about it with Marcelo and that person was found, arrested and put into jail right after you were forced to escape the city in your dragon shape. There’s nothing keeping you from going back there anymore.”

“You mean, apart from the fact that I like it here. So come on, tell me why I could possibly change my mind about living here?”

“Because of this.”

Before Gareth could say anything, Luka stood up and got on his tiptoes, wrapping his arms around the taller man’s neck so he could kiss him. For a second, Gareth stayed still, caught by surprise, but the second he got back to his senses he kissed him back with all the strength he could muster. His arms found their way around Luka’s waist and he lifted him off the ground. The small magician immediately wrapped his legs around him so he wouldn’t fall, all while attacking Gareth’s lips with his, days of pent-up tension finally being released.

“I wanted you do to that for so long… You have no idea…” Gareth gasped all while admiring Luka, his Luka who was so beautiful with his lips red and sore from their make-out session.

“Me too, but I feared… I feared you would hate me.”

“Nonsense. How could I ever hate someone as perfect as you?” He replied before joining their lips again.

Luka giggled in happiness and Gareth took him to their bedroom, just so they could cuddle in peace without having to worry about his arms giving out and dropping his boyfriend on the floor. The magician wrapped himself all around him, clingy as ever. However, there was still one question he needed an answer to.

“Tell me, Gareth, do you plan on… Returning to your hometown?”

“Well, I guess a trip there couldn’t hurt. I might get unnecessarily emotional upon meeting my old friends though, I’m warning you.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. Do you think about settling there… Permanently?”

“Oh, my Lukita, you don’t have to worry about this. I thought I made this clear enough: My home is here, with you. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to stay here out of obligation or…”

Gareth shut him up with a gentle peck on the lips, one hand caressing Luka’s cheek.

“I love you, Lukita. I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

“I love you too. Damn, I love you so fucking much.” Luka cried out, tears of joy running down his face as Gareth held him close to his chest once more, leaving small kisses all over his cheeks.

In the end, they both traveled to Gareth’s hometown, as they escorted Marcelo on the way back. Luka learned to warm up to the man, now that he wasn’t fearing that he would take Gareth away from him together. Once they arrived in the city, a warm welcome expected them. Luka was celebrated like some kind of hero for bringing Gareth back and it only got worse when he revealed that they were dating.

They couldn’t stay for long, though. As Luka pointed out, he couldn’t leave his own city without a magician. His friends needed him ready to help and protect them. Gareth’s goodbyes to his friends were full of tears, but he promised them he would come back to visit whenever he would find enough time for this.

Once they came back to the tower, they settled into a calm, easy life. Actually, they realized that all this time, they had more or less been acting like a dating couple already, aside for the kissing and making out part, of course. That realization made them both laugh when Luka pointed it out.

Day after day, Gareth kept on learning more about magic, spells and potions, even though he quickly abandoned the excuse of being Luka’s apprentice. He wasn’t doing this for the knowledge itself, but just so he could spend as much time as possible with his lover, and see that happy spark in Luka’s eyes when he showed interest towards what he was doing.

His boyfriend was still a workaholic though and more than once Gareth would wake up to a small notes left on his bedside table, only to find Luka in his lab, brewing more potions. This morning was different, though. He found him working at his desk, papers spread all over him and an upset look on his face.

“Is something wrong, Lukita?” Gareth asked him, walking behind the chair so he could start massaging his shoulders.

His boyfriend let out a soft satisfied gasp, but that wasn’t enough to dissipate all his concerns.

“Yes, something is wrong! It’s that damn insurance! I need to pay even more than last year, supposedly because a magician’s tower is ‘a potential threat to the community’! No incident have happened here for decades, but somehow people still expect this tower to spontaneously take fire, or to explode or I don’t what else! Why do I have to pay so much money when nothing ever fucking happens here! I mean, look at Sime and Dejan! They’re alchemists, they’re the ones who blow up things all the time, but do they have to pay insurance? No, and this is fucking unfair!”

“Well, I don’t want to upset you, but I don’t think that’s completely true.”

“Yeah, really? Then maybe you can tell me why!”

“I don’t know, maybe because you’re the kind of person who wouldn’t hesitate before welcoming a former dragon into your tower? Just imagine if I had been a fearsome beast, using a disguise to trick you just so I could wreck havoc onto the city?” Gareth mused, leaning down so he could start putting small kisses on Luka’s neck.

Luka threw his head back, exposing his collarbone to give his lover a better access, closing his eyes as he slowly forgot about the paperwork in front of him.

“Yes, I must admit you have a point… Good thing I managed to seduce that handsome monster before he decided to attack innocent people, though.” Luka purred, his eyes silently challenging his boyfriend.

“Oh, I’m sure he’s way too addicted to you by now to do anything that you would disapprove.” Gareth laughed before gently uniting their lips. Luka moaned into the kiss, slowly getting all worked up as one of Gareth’s hand went to run over his thigh.

Luka didn’t manage to resist him for long though. He stood up and sat on the desk, gripping Gareth’s shirt to pull him closer. Once it was done, he wrapped his legs around him, forcing him to get closer until their hips met. It was Gareth’s turn to let out an aroused whimper as Luka dragged him down to steal another kiss from him.

“Can I know what you’re trying to do, my beautiful magician?”

“Me? Nothing. I’m just paying insurance. But it’s such a hassle, I wouldn’t mind some help…Maybe you could join me in this?” Luka faked innocence, all while working on removing Gareth’s shirt.

“Well, if you insist…” His lover laughed, before pushing him into the desk and ravishing his lips once more.

For once, Luka was the one staying late in bed while he had sent Gareth out in the city so he would bring him back some ingredients. He rolled up in bed when he heard his lover climbing up the stairs, stretching like a cat. He wasn’t wearing anything except for a too big shirt, one that belonged to Gareth.

“Luka, you need to hear this!” Gareth exclaimed the moment he stepped into the room.

He had an amused look on his face, which immediately intrigued Luka. The magician was a little upset when Gareth started walking around in the room, a hand on his mouth to muffle his snickering, instead of joining him in bed, but he decided to let it slide.

“Come on, tell me what is so funny.”

“The people of the city, they think… They think the tower is haunted!”

This news didn’t please Luka. He frowned, crossing his eyes in a stern gesture.

“My tower, haunted? What the hell are they thinking? I’m a respectable magician, I would know it if my tower was haunted, thank you! Why did they imagine something like…”

“You don’t understand, Luka. They think the tower is haunted because of the noise.”

“The noise? What noise? Oh wait, you mean…”

“Yes.”

Luka’s cheeks turned red and he hid his hand between his hands while Gareth chuckled, a teasing grin on his face.

“Shut up, this isn’t funny! It’s embarrassing.”

“What, did I upset my pretty little ghost?”

“Stop it!”

Luka threw himself at Gareth, tickling him so he would stop making fun of him. The taller man fell into the bed, giggling as his lover kept attacking him, keeping him prisoner under his strong thighs.

“Luka! Please stop, I give up! I’ll stop talking about this, I swear!”

Just for good measure, Luka kept going at it for a few minutes, then he released Gareth. His lover was breathing heavily, completely spent.

“That was cruel of you.” He let out, but his smile told Luka he wouldn’t hold it against him.

“You started teasing me first. You should have expected this.”

“Okay, okay, I admit it. Just no more tickling, please.”

“Only if you behave.” Luka warning, settling comfortably, his head on Gareth’s chest. “Could you gather all the ingredients we will need for tonight’s potions?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t want to disappoint you.” Gareth answered, kissing Luka’s hair reverently.

He also gently caressed Luka’s side and his lover almost fell like falling asleep again. There was nothing that he loved more than these little domestic moments spent with Gareth. He felt so at ease he decided it was time for him to evoke something that was always on his mind lately.

“You know, I’ve been thinking a lot, those last few weeks, and I’m wondering if it wouldn’t be time for me to take an apprentice.”

“What, am I not good enough for you anymore?” Gareth asked, poking his cheek.

“Gaz, you and I both know that you’ve never been a regular apprentice. It’s just… I heard two orphan children arrived in the city a few days ago and they have nowhere to go. So I was wondering if…”

“Wait a minute… You want us to adopt children? You want to raise children with me?”

“Yes? I mean, we can talk about it. I would understand if you refused, or if you wanted to wait for a little longer before making that decision…”

“Lukita, please listen to me. I would love to have children with you. And to know that you trust and love me enough to suggest this… It means the world to me.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Now go put some clothes on. We won’t take these children off the streets by staying in bed all day.”

Luka immediately jumped to his feet and put on clothes so fast that Gareth couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. Once he was done, he took him in his arms and planted an affectionate kiss on his forehead.

“I’m sure you’ll make an amazing dad, my Lukita.”

“Yeah, maybe, but before that we’ll have to talk to Suba, to make sure that it’s legal for us to take care of those children. What if the city won’t let me adopt them because I’m a magician? A thousand things could still go wrong and…”

“Luka, everybody loves you here and know what a kind man you are. I’m sure there will be no problem. And if Suba asks about your tower being haunted, I’ll just tell him that…”

“You won’t tell anything about that, you big, stupid dragon!” Luka shrieked, but Gareth only laughed, ruffling his hair.

“Of course I won’t, I was only messing with you. Calm down, it will be alright. I trust in you. Are you ready to go?”

When Gareth offered him his hand, Luka accepted it without hesitating a single second. They left the tower together, ready to face this together.

They stayed out until nightfall, but when they came back with Gareth carrying a sleepy little girl in his arms and Luka holding the hand of a small boy, they knew a new life was about to start for them. The magician couldn’t stop smiling when he looked at his new family. Finally, Gareth and him did end up cleaning another room of the tower, and when he tucked their children into bed that night, he thought that ignoring Suba’s order to stay inside the city on the day he met his boyfriend had been the wisest decision of his life.


	4. Chapter 4

Luka was whistling softly as he picked vials on his shelves to put it in his cape. He was packing for a long walk in the city to give potions against disease to all the people who needed it. The first days of Autumn were coming and with them, the first colds. Thankfully, he was well prepared, mostly thanks to Gareth’s help. Not only did his husband help at making potions, but also for watching over their kids when Luka was too busy, just like today.

His husband. That single thought brought a small smile to Luka’s lips and his magician hat almost fell from his head as he ran a hand through his hair, getting emotional just by remembering that moment when Gareth had gone down on one knee in front of him. It wasn’t official, but only because Luka felt no need for a great ceremony to confirm what he already knew. Him and Gareth were bound for life and he could already picture how they would grow old together. The image warmed his heart as he rearranged his hat on top of his head, trying his best to look respectable.

He went down the stairs, but as he was about to leave the tower, he heard a cry coming from the higher floors. At first, he wasn’t all that alarmed. As much as he loved them, he had to recognize his kids could be noisy sometimes when they got to caught up in their games. However, he decided to check on them and his lover one last time before leaving, just to be sure.

However, before he could get to his children room, his son burst out of the door, looking completely panicked. Luka didn’t have the time to ask any questions before the kid rushed to him and hugged his legs all while crying.

“Something is wrong with dad! He… He…”

The words that followed were gibberish, but his son’s sobs were enough to worry Luka. He knelt next to him and took him in his arms, trying to reassure him.

“It’s alright, I’m here now. No matter the problem, I will fix it. Now I need to go check on your dad, okay?”

The child nodded through his tears and Luka grabbed his small hand before entering the room. At first, he didn’t notice Gareth and their daughter, until he saw them huddled together on the floor. When he heard crying sounds, he first thought that Gareth was trying to reassure Ema. However, as he got closer, he suddenly realized that his daughter was calm and that it was his husband who looked completely panicked.

When she heard him entering the room, their daughter raised her head and stared straight at Luka with knowing, intelligent eyes. Despite her innocent look, she kept being streetwise even after Gareth and him adopted her. She was maybe young, but she knew how to sense things. The moment Luka got close to Gareth, she let go of her father and took her little brother’s hand.

“Can we go to Mr. Vida’s house? We could play with David.”

Luka wasn’t stupid enough to take this as a genuine ask. His daughter was trying to take her brother’s away so Luka wouldn’t have to worry about him while taking care of Gareth. If she was acting like that, then something serious was going on here.

“Are you sure? I mean, I could talk with your dad and then take you there…”

“I want to go now!”

Ema looked upset, as if Luka was totally missing her point. He wished he could have argued to make her stay, but he couldn’t ignore how Gareth was still shaking on the floor a few feet away, hidden by the shadows. If he was sick or hurt, Luka couldn’t allow himself to waste any time.

“Okay, you can do that, but be careful on your way there, okay?”

“Sure, don’t worry.”

She quickly kissed his cheek before disappearing, her brother trailing behind. Luka wasn’t too worried for them. Domagoj’s house was just a few blocks away and Ema was already independent enough to get there without trouble. Also, everybody in the city liked her and she would easily find help if needed. Still, Luka didn’t feel good letting his children leave the tower all by themselves. However, he tried to tried to ignore his overprotective instincts, knowing that for now, it was Gareth who needed his help.

“Gaz? What is wrong?”

His husband didn’t answer. On the contrary, he withdrew even more on himself, trying to get away from Luka’s sight. The magician frowned, trying to find a reason why his lover would act like that but finding none. He took a step towards him, but this time Gareth tried to stop him.

“No, don’t get any closer Luka, please. I don’t want you to see me like this.”

“Like what? Please, Gareth, you need to help me because I’m freaking out here.”

This time, Gareth didn’t give him any answer apart from new sobs. Ignoring his warning, Luka got close enough to him to put a hand on his husband’s shoulder. However, as the taller man shifted so he could look at him, he moved into the light and Luka let out a gasp of surprise as he finally got a good sight of his husband.

His shirt was ripped in the back, only to reveal two black, impressive wings sprouting from his shoulder blades. He still looked mostly human, but in some places dark scales covered his skin, just as two horns emerged from between his hair. His nails were also sharper now, almost turning into claws. Even his frightened, horrified eyes looked more reptilian.

From this moment, Luka didn’t hesitate a single second. He rushed to hug Gareth, holding him close as his husband kept on sobbing against his chest. The magician gently ran his fingers through his hair, leaving small kisses on his forehead and lulling him in his arms, waiting for him to calm down a bit. He knew just how traumatized Gareth was about his time spent in dragon skin, no matter how long ago it has been since he freed him from his curse.

“I don’t want this to happen, Luka… I don’t want to turn onto a dragon again…” He cried, despair in his voice.

He sounded miserable and it broke Luka’s heart. He had worked so hard for Gareth to be happy again, he didn’t want some unfortunate magical event to ruin all this.

“Don’t worry, Gareth, it will be alright. I’m here and I won’t leave you, no matter what.”

“But you should! What if I change into a dragon while you’re near me? What if I hurt you?”

“Gareth, you won’t turn into a dragon again, I promise. And even if you did, I’m sure you wouldn’t hurt anyone. I thought we already went through this when Marcelo explained to you how you spared everyone from your hometown.”

“How can you be so sure that it won’t happen again? And that it won’t be worse this time? Maybe I’ll completely lose my humanity, maybe I’ll turn into a bloodthirsty monster and kill everyone I love…”

This time, Gareth tried to get out of his embrace, intent of running away from Luka to protect the small magician. However, his lover wasn’t ready to accept that and he held onto Gareth, not letting go even when he thrashed against him. However, he wasn’t well aware yet of the new additions to his body and one of his horns scratched a nasty laceration onto Luka’s cheek. The magician left out a cry of pain and Gareth immediately stopped moving, horror growing wide in his eyes.

“Oh no, Luka! I’m so sorry, I didn’t want to do this, please forgive me my love, I didn’t mean to…”

He was panicking, staring at all the blood escaping from Luka’s pale skin, but his lover didn’t share his worry. He grimaced in pain, sure, but he found the strength to caress Gareth’s cheek in a gentle, comforting gesture.

“Shh, don’t worry, dragi. This is nothing.”

With shaking hands, Luka tried to reach for a healing potion in his cape. Gareth immediately understood his intention and he helped him with it, leading the vial to his lips. The moment he drank the liquid, his injury stitched itself back before completely disappearing. However, Luka could tell that its memory wasn’t ready to leave Gareth’s mind.

“I… I hurt you…” He whispered, staring at the blood still covering the ground.

“You didn’t mean it, Gareth. You only panicked and this was an accident. Don’t freak out again, we can talk this out.”

“No, we can’t talk this out when I could turn into a dragon eager to devour you any minute now!”

Luka quickly chased away the thought of him not minding having his husband devour him in quite a different way. Now was not the time for this. They would have all the time in the world for loving each other later, once they sorted this out.

“Gareth, you won’t turn into a dragon, I promise. What is happening to you… It must look terrifying, I know, but it’s not all that weird.”

“What the hell do you mean, not all that weird? Luka, I have wings!”

“Shh, I know, I know.” The magician answered in a soothing tone, moving so he could hug Gareth again. His husband was still tense, but this time he didn’t try to push him away. “I mean, I get that what’s happening to you right now doesn’t feel normal to you, but it’s… Let’s say, understandable.”

“What the hell do you mean, understandable?”

“I mean, there’s a rational explanation to this. When you stay in contact for too long with magic, may it come from another person or from an artifact, sometimes there will be some reminiscence of it. Damn, I don’t know how to explain that with simple words. Let’s just say that during that time you spent in your dragon’s shape, some of the magic coming from the necklace transferred into you. However, it’s always a very tiny amount of magic compared to the original container. That’s why I’m saying you won’t turn into a full dragon. There’s not enough magic stored in your body for that.”

“How can you be so sure of that? What if it’s another magic phenomenon you can’t understand?”

“Gaz, I’m a magician. I can sense the magic around me and I can assure you there isn’t enough inside of you to add more changes to your body. In fact, I’m pretty sure you’ll turn back into your human appearance soon enough. This is just your body’s way of getting rid of all the magic still trapped in you.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it should all come back to normal within a week or less. During that time, you’ll only have to stay here so that no one starts wondering about your… Well… Dragon problem. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure to find a good excuse so no one will suspect a thing.”

Luka smiled gently and put a kiss on Gareth’s scaly cheek, helping him to stand up. His lover was still shaking lightly but he looked more calm than before. The moment he got up, his big wings suddenly enveloped Luka, pulling him closer so they could share a strong, passionate embrace, their lips crashing together. The magician didn’t mind this use of Gareth’s newly acquired limbs and he couldn’t restrain a moan when his husband’s tongue invaded his mouth. Their hips bucked together and Luka had to force himself to concentrate on the situation at hand so as not to get lightheaded.

“Wow, what was that for? Not that I mind, of course, but…”

“I love you, Luka. I love you so much. That’s all there is to it.”

Luka smiled, but his lips soon opened to let out another whimper as Gareth started attacking his neck. Even though his mind was slowly getting clouded with pleasure, he didn’t quite understand his husband sudden change of behavior. Was he acting like this out of relief of knowing his transformation wouldn’t be permanent? Or was it the magic in his veins influencing him, maybe filling his mind with the primal instinct to mate?

“Wait Gareth, are you sure you want this? I mean, while being in this form?” He asked.

His lover immediately stopped all his ministrations, taking a step back so he would give Luka some space. This reassured Luka. So this meant Gareth still was in control of what he was doing.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to weird you out. I understand that you must hate me like this. But if that’s what you’re worrying about, I believe I’m still the same… You know… Down there…”

At that, Luka couldn’t help but burst out laughing as he watched Gareth biting his lips, suddenly insecure. His husband pouted at that reaction but Luka soon wiped the tears out of his own eyes before wrapping his arms around Gareth’s neck.

“I only wanted to make sure you were really able to consent to this. Magic can have some really weird effects some times. But now, don’t you ever start thinking that I could stop loving you because of your appearance. You mean so much to me, Gareth. Now, if you’re really sure about this, how about we move to our room to take this further?” Luka winked at him.

“I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.” Gareth replied before lifting Luka up so the small magician could wrap his legs around him so he could lead him to their bedroom.

Luka always loved getting intimate with Gareth, but that connection they shared afterward was something else, something so special that the words making love just weren’t strong enough to describe it. The magician had no idea if this was because of his transformation, but Gareth proved to be even more passionate than usual, worshiping his body as if there was no tomorrow. His wings were wrapped tightly around Luka, enclosing him in a cocoon of love and warmth. His skin covered in scales felt a bit foreign under Luka’s hands, but the magician soon found out that he didn’t mind.

Gareth was also a bit rougher than usual, with his sharp nails digging into the magician’s skin, but once more Luka discovered that he liked and wanted this. He was also too far gone to wonder if this was really coming from Gareth, or another effect of his transformation. Right now, all he could do was hold onto his husband’s shoulder and close his eyes under the pleasure overwhelming him. He was so lost in bliss that it felt like Gareth’s hands and lips were everywhere on him, steadily working on making him lose his mind.

He surrendered his body to Gareth without any hesitation, losing track of time as his lover kept on drowning him under sinful caresses. Each time Luka thought they were done, he would come back to attack him with more kisses and gentle strokes, bringing his lover to the point where he didn’t know if it was too much or not enough.

Then, after an eternity, they both fell back on the bed, exhausted, with Luka laying his head on top of Gareth’s chest. Never before had he felt so tired and satisfied in his whole life. His husband smiled at him, ruffling his hair in a tender gesture and Luka closed his eyes, sighing. If heaven existed, then it was certainly what it felt like.

“Damn, Gareth, it was so good… I think you almost broke me there.”

“No need to flatter my ego like that!” His husband laughed, nuzzling against Luka’s neck.

“Hey, be careful! It tickles and your horns are getting into my nose!” Luka chuckled.

“Oh, sorry.” Gareth apologized, getting away from him and for a second his eyes darkened. However, Luka soon forgot about it when his husband left a lazy kiss on his lips, making him feel all warm inside once more.

“Is this better?”

“Oh, it sure is!” Luka confirmed, his eyes shining with happiness.

He cuddled even closer to Gareth, humming contently when the taller man wrapped an arm around his midriff. This time, Luka became a little more aware of the red scratches on his back. Nothing that a healing potion wouldn’t make disappear, but for now, he decided that he liked the soft itching. Maybe he would even leave them on for a few days, just to remember these loving, intense moments he had shared with the love of his life. His husband stroked his shoulder in a gentle way, even massaging his skin a little, and Luka felt blessed to be here, with him. However, even though he wished he would never have to move anymore, Gareth quickly brought Luka back to reality.

“As much as I would love to spend more time with you, my beautiful magician, I believe you should go to bring our kids back here. I have no doubts Domagoj and Mario can take great care of them, but it would also be nice if they didn’t stay there long enough to start seeing as role models and become troublemakers. I would take care of it myself, but I think going out in the city looking like this would be a bad idea.”

“By the gods, you’re right! I’m such a bad father, I should be worried sick about them, I mean, what if something bad happened to them or their way there or…”

“Luka, please calm down. You just tried to deal as best as you could with a crisis situation. It’s alright, I get it. Also, we both know Ema is strong enough to take care of herself, no matter how much we love to spoil her.”

“Yes, I know, but still… I need to hurry!”

Luka jumped out of bed and he quickly put on some clothes, including his cape. He was about to leave when Gareth stopped him, grabbing his hand.

“Wait, you forgot that.”

He put his magician’s hat on top of Luka’s head and the smaller man laughed, embarrassed.

“It’s a good thing you’re here to watch after me” He chuckled.

Gareth leaned down once more, uniting their lips in a tender kiss. Luka smiled into it, more happy than ever. However, when he opened his eyes again, he was surprised to see that his husband was wiping tears out of his eyes.

“Gaz? Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s just… I love you so much, Lukita. I never could thank you enough for this wonderful life you offered me. Sorry, I’m just getting emotional.”

“You don’t have to apologize. Sometimes I can’t believe either how lucky I was to meet you. But that’s the reality, Gaz. You and me, loving each other and raising kids together. Could you picture anything more beautiful?”

“No, I don’t think I could.” Gareth replied, offering his lover another kiss. “But speaking of the kids, they’re waiting for you.”

“I know, I’ll hurry up and come back soon! You won’t even notice I’m gone!” Luka shouted before rushing down the stairs of the tower.

He ran too fast to hear Gareth whispering “I love you.” once more.

People in the streets sent the magician weird looks as he sprinted as fast as he could, his cape almost flying behind him. When he got to Mario’s tailor shop, he entered without even knocking, his kids occupying all his mind. However, he immediately calmed down the moment he walked in, only to find his children busy petting Leni. The pug raised a confused head at him, then went back to laying down when she realized he was no threat.

“Hello, Luka. I guess you’re here for the kids.” Mario greeted him with a warm smile.

“Yes, I’m sorry they had to come here all on their own, but I had a… Problem with an experiment at the tower and I didn’t want them to stay there when it could be dangerous.”

“You don’t have to apologize, there’s no problem at all. It’s nice to have them here, David is so happy to have friends to play with when I have customers and Domagoj is busy with the bakery.”

When Luka took a look at the children, he could indeed see that they all seemed very happy together. Ema sent him an intense look though and he gave her a small nod, to tell her that everything was alright with her dad now. Only then did she truly relax enough to enjoy playing with her brother and her friend.

“Still, I’m sorry you had to deal with that without getting any warning beforehand. If you need any potion, just come to my tower and everything will be free for you.”

“That’s nice of you to offer Luka, but please don’t say that to Domagoj. Who knows what kind of prank he could come up with with the help of magic.”

“Damn, you’re right, I guess it’s best not to do that.” Luka chuckled. “The offer still stands for you though, as long as you don’t use my potions to get back at your rivals. Including Ramos.”

“Sometimes I wish you didn’t know us that well.” Mario sighed, shrugging.

“Well, I guess it is to be expected from a magician like me. Anyway, it’s getting late and I think it’s time for us to come back home, don’t you think?”

Ema immediately agreed and stood up, ready to obey her father, but Ivano hugged onto the dog while making puppy eyes at Luka.

“Can we stay and play for a bit longer? Please? Mister Domo promised he would come back with some sweets for us!”

Luka took a glance at Mario to know if it was true and his friend shrugged once more.

“You know how Domagoj is, he can’t resist the kids.”

“Okay, fine, we can wait for Domo to come back, but not much longer, okay? Your dad is waiting for us at home.”

The kids both jumped in joy, before rushing back to Leni, and Luka couldn’t help but smile at the sight. He let them play as he talked a little with Mario. He always liked to keep himself informed of what was going on in the city, instead of just staying locked up in his tower and not caring about other people like magicians used to act back in the time.

He didn’t have to wait for long before Domo arrived, holding lots of pastries for the kids. He had the biggest grin on his face and Ema and Ivano cheered at his arrival. Domo had a way with children, maybe because he still was one big kid himself.

Luka took the time to exchange a few words with him too, although by now he was getting impatient. He had promised Gareth he wouldn’t stay out for too long and now he was failing at keeping his word. He accepted the sweets for the children, but then he quickly excused himself, eager to finally go back to his husband.

On his way back, Luka couldn’t cross the city as quickly as he wished, not with his children walking next to him. He swore at each minute they were losing, but that didn’t stop him from stopping at the foot of his tower to have a word with them.

“Listen, dad still looks a bit… Let’s say, weird. But it’s not a problem, okay? It’s just an experiment that went wrong and it should go back to normal very soon. Just try not to make him feel bad about it, okay?”

The kids both nodded and Luka let them go free inside the tower. They ran to the kitchen, carrying all the pastries Domagoj had given then. Luka chuckled at that and started climbing the stairs after them, although he wasn’t heading to the same place.

“Gaz? I’m home!” He announced himself, maybe a little too eager to be welcomed by his husband’s big, warm arms.

No answer. Luka decided to go to their bedroom, in case his lover was still in the middle of a nap. After all, he had to be tired, after their passionate love-making. A blush invaded his cheeks at the memory, just as he suddenly became more aware of his body’s soreness. He knocked on the door, but this time a small worry settled in his heart when he got no answer. He went in quickly and almost got a heart attack when he stepped into the room.

He immediately noticed how their wardrobe was left open, the shelves devoid of all of Gareth’s clothes. Of course, his lover was nowhere to be seen. A letter was resting on the empty bed and Luka grabbed it with shaking hands, already fearing the worst.

He started sobbing a few words in. Gareth was telling him that he loved him, that no one in this mattered more to him than Luka, but that he had to leave, for both his and their children safety. That a monster like Gareth couldn’t keep living in a city full of innocent people oblivious to the danger he represented.

Suddenly, it all became clear to Luka. All the love and passion Gareth had shown to him during sex, how he had told Luka he loved him a thousand times, how he had tears in his eyes right before letting him leave, it all made sense now. Gareth was telling him goodbye.

Luka fell to his knees, his hands clenched on the letter. He felt so stupid for believing that he had managed to reassure Gareth when his husband was actually planning on running away because he thought of himself as some kind of monstrosity.

However, he quickly went up, not allowing himself to spend any more time weeping. Maybe Gareth wasn’t too far away. Maybe he could still catch up with him and change his mind.

He left the room and ran down the stairs, the letter still in his hands. He quickly closed the door of the tower, knowing his children would be safe in the old building. The moment he was outside, he looked down, searching for Gareth’s footsteps. A burst of hope blossomed through his chest as he found some. He started following the trail, as fast as he could while making sure he wouldn’t lose it.

However, it suddenly disappeared and Luka’s heart dropped as he remembered an important facts. Gareth had wings now, wings that had been wrapped around his body only a few hours earlier. It meant that his husband could use them to fly and leave the region without spreading any clue as to where he was going.

Luka’s legs betrayed him again and he fell in the mud and the dirt, tears covering his face. It couldn’t be real. It had to be a fucking nightmare and he would wake up with Gareth by his side, smiling at him, ready to make breakfast for him and the kids.

But it was the harsh, cruel reality.

Gareth was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

The forest was dark and gloomy, twigs cracking under Luka’s shoes. A cold wind was blowing, freezing him to the bone. Ema and Ivano were both shaking, but mostly from fear. Their father could sense their distress and he wished he still had enough energy to reassure them. They had been on the roads for two days now, two days without Gareth and he was already breaking.

He tried his best to hide it from his children, but he suspected Ema to have surprised him when he was sobbing deep at night, desperate to feel his husband’s arms around him. He needed to find Gareth, or we would go crazy.

“Do we really have to go there? It’s scary!” Ivano whined, grasping at Luka’s cape.

The magician sighed, ruffling his son’s hair in a tender gesture, although it lacked spontaneity because of how exhausted he was.

“I’m sorry, it’s the only way. But don’t worry, we’ll be there soon.”

The child nodded shyly, trying his best to appear brave for his dad, even though he still looked terrified. Next to them, Ema stayed silent, maybe because she could hear through her father’s lies and understand that despite all of his comforting words, nothing would be alright, not as long as Gareth would be gone.

A lightning scarred the sky, then a loud bang of thunder resonated through the forest. Ivano let out a cry of fear and as an answer, some wild beast started howling in the night. This time, even Ema sent her father a worried, questioning look.

“It’s wolves! It must be wolves.” Ivano whispered in horror, his hold on his father’s cloak tightening as much as his small fingers allowed it.

“No need to panic. Nothing wrong will happen to you here, I swear. Look, we’re already at the end of our trip.”

He pointed at a small, abandoned house in the middle of the woods. Ema grimaced and Ivano started shaking even stronger than before. The place looked maybe even more terrifying than the forest itself. However, they heard another howl, closer this time, and it was enough to erase all of the children’s doubts. They hurried to the small cabin, although they were surprised when Luka didn’t simply push the door open, but knocked at it. It was hard to imagine that someone could live in here.

They waited for a minute, but then a man wearing red and blue robes opened the door, his eyes growing wide in surprise at the sight of the family waiting on his threshold. His expression grew fond and his lips turned into a smile. Without any hesitation, he pulled Luka into a tight hug, his voice full of happiness.

“Luka! What a nice surprise! What brings my best friend into blaugrana land?”

The magician bit his lip, trying his best to not burst out into tears, not in front of his children. Maybe his friend didn’t realize that yet, but he was in dire need of comfort and reassurance too.

“I wish I could say I only decided to stop by to know how you’re doing, but things are a little more complicated than that. I need your help, Ivan.”

The other man frowned and took a step back, a shadow on his face. He tried to hide the sadness and bitterness in his voice, but the magician could still notice it.

“Listen, Luka, if you’re here to convince me to come back to the city again, let me tell you that…”

“No, no, it’s nothing like that, I promise! Actually, now I understand why you decided to settle here, and I regret how I behaved towards you those last few years. I shouldn’t have questioned your choice. I’m sorry.”

“You… Really? You should come inside, so we can talk about all this before you freeze to death. Are… Are those your kids?”

“Yes.” Luka replied in a small voice, holding the children against him in a protective gesture.

Ivan stepped away to let them in, and the three travelers all sighed in relief when they were engulfed in a sudden, welcoming warmth. Luka snickered at that, although the melancholy didn’t completely disappear from his voice.

“I recognize you well here. Always trying to show off with your sorcerer skills, right, Ivan?”

“I’m just trying to make you feel more welcome, that’s all. This way please, we can sit on the sofa and have a warm drink while you explain all your adventures to me.”

“Wait, is there… Somewhere the children could stay? There are some things I don’t want them to hear.” Luka admitted.

The magician could see the worry growing in his friend’s eyes, but Ivan nodded anyway.

“Sure, it’s no problem at all. I’m sure my own kids will be happy to have new friends to play with.”

Ivan snapped his fingers together and Luka tensed out of instinct when magic filled the room, taking the form of a cloud of smoke. A man even smaller than Luka appeared, holding a small girl in his arms. The child was giggling, busy putting several pink hair clips on him. However, she stopped when she realized they were now in public, just like the man started blushing, before sending Ivan an offended look.

“I thought we already had a talk about not teleporting people without warning them first, Ivan.” He groaned, putting the little girl on the ground so he could take the clips out of his hair. Someone else than Luka and his kids certainly would have been freaked out, but all three were too used to magic to panic because of such little things.

“I’m sorry, Leo, but those are rather… Special circumstances. I promise this is a one time thing. Do you forgive me?”

The other man sighed, won over by Ivan sorry pout. He reached for his face so he could leave a quick, loving kiss on his lips.

“Of course. You know I can’t stay mad at you for long.”

It hurt Luka to look at the happy couple in front of him. It only reminded him of what he had lost, maybe forever. In this moment, he would have given away all his magic knowledge, if only to get one more kiss from Gareth.

After the two men parted, the smaller one finally seemed to notice the presence of the magician, and he immediately grew more tense.

“Luka.”

“Lionel.”

They shared a cold handshake, but Luka couldn’t really blame the other man. He still clearly remembered a time when, a few years ago, he had tried to convince Ivan not to move here, with his lover. Now that he looked back at it, he realized he had done it for all kind of wrong reasons. But he would present his excuses to the two men and atone his mistakes later, after dragging Gareth back to live with him.

“Luka and I need to discuss some important matters. Could you take care of his children while we do that, love?” Ivan asked gently, although some worry pierced through his voice.

“You really want me to leave you alone with him? When he tried to convince you to abandon your life here, your life with me, the last time he came here?”

“Listen, Leo, I’m sure that…”

“I’m sorry about that. I really am. I was young and stupid and afraid to lose my best friend, to live all on my own in my tower. But now I understand why you’re so intent on keeping him by your side and why you must hate me for trying to take Ivan away from you. I learned that the hard way. Please, I swear you won’t hear of me after today if that’s what you want, but I need Ivan’s help!”

Luka started shaking and once again, the presence of his kids was the only thing that kept him from just breaking right then and there. Ivan and Leo shared an understanding look and the smaller one of the two nodded.

“Okay, I’ll take care of the kids while you talk forever. But if you try to convince Ivan to leave this house again…”

“I won’t, I promise.”

Luka took a few minutes to kneel next to his children and explain to them that they needed to go with the other kids. They obeyed him, even though they didn’t look enthusiastic about it, not when they could see their father in such a pitiful state. Ivano and Ema both hugged him before leaving and once more it brought tears to Luka’s eyes.

“I’ll be back soon. Behave while I’m gone, okay?” He smiled sadly, ruffling their hair.

They followed Leo, leaving the magician and the sorcerer alone. The moment they disappeared up the stairs, Luka’s shoulders slouched down and he stopped trying to conceal his despair, letting it appear clear on his face.

“What’s wrong, Luka? Last time I asked Suba about you, he told me you had found someone and were the happiest man on earth. What happened?”

“It’s Gareth. I mean, my husband. He… He left…”

Just saying it aloud somehow made it more real, and this time, Luka couldn’t contain his tears anymore. He broke out into loud sobs and Ivan pulled him into a hug again in an attempt to calm him down.

“Oh, my poor Luka. I am so, so sorry. Come sit down, I’ll give you some tea to drink and then we can talk about all this.”

“I think I need something stronger than tea right now.” Luka laughed bitterly.

“I know. That’s precisely why you’re only going to have tea.”

This managed to draw a small smile out of Luka, and he went to sit down on the sofa, waiting for Ivan to cook all that. Instead, the sorcerer just agitated his hands to make tea and all kind of cakes appear on the table. Luka raised an eyebrow at that, not impressed by his friend’s powers.

“You know that you’ll regret it tonight when the backlash will kick in, right?”

“Maybe, but I have the feeling that this is an important matter, and that you don’t have time to lose. Leo is used to it and he will be there to take care of me anyway if I drop unconscious because I used my powers too much.”

“That doesn’t sound very healthy.”

“Oh shut up, you magician! Now I see why you never cared to look into the dark arts.”

“I never did it because it’s dangerous and irresponsible!”

“Of course, of course. Anyway, I think we have more important matters to discuss. So can you tell me what happened to you?

“Okay, I can do that.” Luka tried to convince himself. “So, it all began one summer, when I was busy making healing potions…”

 

For the first time, Luka started telling the story of his first meeting with Gareth. Words and tears started spilling from him and Ivan knew not to stop him before he was done. From time to time, he made some tissues appear so that Luka could wipe his wet cheeks with it.

“So you saved that man from the enchantment and fell in love with him, but he ran away when some magic reminiscence transformed his body again, did I get that right?”

“Yes. He believes he did that to keep me safe, but he’s wrong… I’ve never felt worse in my whole life, Ivan. I’ve barely eaten for days, but I’m not even hungry. I can’t go on without him, I don’t know how… He’s such a big part of my life now, I’m not sure if you can understand…”

“I do, Luka. If Leo were to disappear one day, abandoning me and the kids, I don’t know what I would do either. I’m here if you need anything, you know that right?”

“About that… I need you to help me find Gareth.”

Ivan frowned and he tried his best to stay gentle and not to scare Luka off as he asked:

“Are you sure it’s a good idea? I mean, I don’t know him, but if he gave up on you that easily maybe you’re better off without him.”

“No, you don’t understand! We love each other so much, and this stupid idiot thinks he is sacrificing himself for me. You followed Lionel into Catalan lands and gave up on your place of sorcerer of the city for him, if someone can understand that’s it’s you, Ivan.”

“Fine, I guess you’re right. So, what do you need me to do?”

“First, I need someone to take care of the kids for me. I just can’t take them on a dangerous trip with me, they’re too young and I would never forgive myself if something was to happen to them. They have been raised surrounded by magic though, so I can’t just ask this to anyone else. They only know minor spells, sure, but I remember children being executed regardless, during the last wizard hunt. I need to know they’ll be with someone who can take care of them. I know that no mob attacked magicians in decades, but I don’t want to take any risk, not when it comes to my children.”

“Of course, and I respect that. They’ll be safe here, I promise.”

“There’s more though. I don’t know yet how dangerous that trip might be, and I need to be sure someone will be there for them if… If I were to never come back… I took them out of the streets, Ivan, I don’t want them to be forced to go back to that life because I’m a failure.”

“Oh, Luka, you’ll never be a failure, don’t say that…”

“But if only I had found the right words… If only I had understood how Gareth really felt… If I had come home earlier… Then maybe he would still be here with me.”

Violent sobs shook Luka’s small body once more, but he tried his best to restrain them.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t waste time crying, not when I need to hurry. So can you do that for me? I know it’s asking for a lot, but…”

“Of course, I’ll do that for you. Do you think I would be coldhearted enough to abandon small kids? Also, I know you Luka and what a great magician you are. You’ll come back, I’m sure of it. Do you need anything else?”

“Actually, yes. Could you make a localization spell for me?”

“A localization spell? Seriously? Luka, you already knew how to make one back when we were teenagers, you don’t need me for this.”

“I do, Ivan. I’m too stressed and worried to concentrate enough on this, I know my hands will be shaking if I try to do it and…”

“Okay, Luka, calm down. It’s no big deal, I’ll do it for you. You know how it works though, right? You need to give me…”

“An object that belonged to the person I want to find, yes. Gareth packed all his stuff before leaving, but there is that letter he wrote to tell me goodbye.”

“And you also know that…”

“Yes, that the spell will destroy that object. It’s the last thing I have to remind me of my husband, and it breaks my heart to do that, but if it’s the only way to find him, then I’m ready to make all the necessary sacrifices.”

Luka started looking through his travel bag until he found the letter, then he handed it to Ivan. The sorcerer examined it quickly, then he nodded.

“Yes, that will do. It will only take a second.”

He ran his fingers over the paper and pronounced a magic formula, closing his eyes to concentrate better. A thin, almost invisible green string appeared out to the letter and went to wrap itself around one of Luka’s fingers, while the other end of it led outside of the sorcerer’s house. Luka looked at the physical manifestation of the spell, tears in his eyes.

“So, if I follow it, it will… It will take me to Gareth, right?”

“Of course, it will. Are you doubting my skills?”

“No, it’s just… I was so afraid I would never get a chance to talk to him, to convince him that he can come back, that what’s happening to him isn’t a fatality… Thank you Ivan, I’ll never thank you enough. You’re the best friend anyone could hope for. Now I need to hurry, maybe Gareth didn’t travel too far away, maybe I could still catch back up with him quickly…”

“No, you’re not leaving like that, with just your hat on your head. You don’t know how long your trip will last. Go hug your kids one last time, I’ll pack some provisions for you.”

“Oh gods, Ivan, I don’t even know how to thank you…”

“You don’t have to. Now hurry, I know you don’t want to lose time.”

 

Luka spent all that time Ivan gave him crying and hugging his kids, promising them that he would come back soon with their father. Leo was gone to help Ivan with the packing so he would have some privacy to tell them goodbye.

It broke Luka’s heart to part from them, but this was the safest option for them. And when they started crying, Luka thought he would lose his sanity once and for all. So far, they had been his anchor, and he had no idea how he would cope with Gareth’s absence once he would be alone. However, he forced himself to put a kiss on both their forehead and to head toward the door.

Ivan and Leo were waiting for him, a bag full with food ready for the small magician. The sorcerer’s husband looked less tense now, maybe even a little concerned for Luka. No doubt that Ivan had told him everything about why the magician came all the way here. Luka didn’t mind, he understood that his friend wanted to share the truth with his lover.

“Are you sure you don’t need anything else, Luka? Maybe weapons, in case your travel brings you to dangerous lands? You can never be sure…”

“It’s okay, Ivan, I have my magic and my daggers, I’ll be fine, don’t worry. It was nice seeing you again. When I come back… I mean, if I come back…”

“Don’t you ever dare say something like that. You’ll come back, Luka, or I’ll learn necromancy to bring your ass back here just so I can kill you again for making me worry so much about you!”

Luka let out a small, sad laugh while running a hand through his hair, embarrassed.

“Well, it looks like I’ll have to survive that trip then. I can’t allow you to dig even deeper into the dark arts. Anyway, what I was trying to say is that when I’ll come back, you can ask me for anything and I’ll do it for you. And even then, I’ll be forever in your debt.”

“Don’t be stupid, you don’t owe me anything. I’m only asking one thing of you, it’s to come back safe and sound, hopefully with your idiot dragon husband so you can be happy again, got it?”

“Yeah, thank you Ivan. Thank you so much.”

They shared another embrace, before Luka forced himself to regain his composure. He waved goodbye at the sorcerer, before turning around. He clenched his fists, staring at the door defiantly, then he opened it and stepped outside, ready to face all the challenges that awaited him. He promised himself he he would stay strong until he found Gareth and reunited his family together, then he adventured himself into the night.

 

Once he was gone, Ivan stayed immobile, staring straight in front of him and not moving from an inch. Then, after a few minutes, he asked Leo:

“Babe?”

“Yes?”

“Can you please hold me? I used too much magic, and I think I’m going to faint any moment now.”

Leo rolled his eyes, but he went to wrap an arm around Ivan’s waist, letting the taller man rest against him. The sorcerer sighed happily as his eyes started closing as he laid his head on his lover’s shoulder.

“Why do you always have to overwork yourself? You know how it is, now you’re going to have a fever for at least two days.”

“I had to… Help Lukita…” Ivan whispered, but his voice already sounded sleepy.

“You’re lucky I’m here to take care of you, you idiot.” The smaller man murmured, putting a loving kiss on Ivan’s forehead as the sorcerer definitely drifted off.

 

Gareth was caught in a middle of a snowstorm. After leaving the city, he had flown straight to one of the mountains where he used to hide back when he was a dragon. Living there was more difficult now that he was more human than saurian, though. The cold wasn’t really a problem, his scales seemed to protect him from it, but the frost in his wings kept him from flying.

Soon enough, he was forced to continue his travel on the ground. The wind was blowing strong, making his climb dangerous and difficult. He had already reached a high point in the mountain, and a fall from here would be deadly.

He had been walking from hours in the blizzard now, and each new step was real torture for his exhausted body. He wanted nothing more than to curl onto himself and sleep forever, but he knew that even his scales wouldn’t save him if he got buried under meters of snow. Stopping now would mean nothing but death.

It was also hard for him to find any motivation when he knew that each step he took put more distance between him and Luka, between him and his children. He missed the warm embrace of his lover, just like he wished he could be reading tales to his kids before they went to sleep instead of braving the cold of the mountain.

No matter how he wished to see them again, he couldn’t go back, though. Not when he was a threat to their safety. He would cherish their memory till his last breath, but it was better for him to stay away from humanity from now on, where he wouldn’t be able to cause any more damage.

Sometimes, when he stumbled and almost fell down the mountain, he wondered if it wouldn’t be better for anyone else, if he disappeared here and now. Then he wouldn’t be a danger to anyone and he wouldn’t have to suffer from the absence of his loved ones. However, he knew succumbing to this dark whisper in his mind would be selfish. Leaving Luka was one thing, but if he died and his husband discovered it… No, he just couldn’t let that happen, couldn’t bring himself to risk hurting his Lukita this much.

He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the feeling of Luka’s lips against his own, the way his laugh sounded, the sweet, forbidden moments they would share in the intimacy of their bedroom. It hurt, to be deprived of all this, but it hurt even more than sooner or later, all this would slid away from his memory. One day, he would wake and not remember how soft Lukita’s hair was under his fingers, how he would smell of strange and exotic perfumes after working in his lab the whole night. For now, those memories were the only thing keeping Gareth alive and he didn’t know how he would manage to survive once that would be gone too.

However, his despair receded a little when he realized that despite the snow, he knew where he was. His surroundings no longer looked foreign which only meant one thing: He’d already been here, even if it was under his dragon form. He immediately remembered a cave big enough to shelter the dragon that he once was. It would be a nice place for him to settle, or at least to spend the night and get some forces back.

He tried looking for this hidden Eldorado, but the wind blowing at his face made it all harder. It had untied his hair a long time ago and now the long locks were getting in his face, making it all the more complicated to look where he was going. In the end, he decided to trust his instincts and to keep walking forward while being almost blind. He knew he was taking a big risk, but he was soon rewarded for it when he spotted the grotto he remembered just a few steps away from him.

He found enough strength in himself to run until he would be protected from the storm raging outside. It was still freezing inside the cave, but Gareth gladly welcomed any change to his dire situation. Now that he was free from the violent wind, he quickly tied his hair back up, before starting exploring the cave.

It didn’t take long for him to discover a spot that would be perfect for him to spend the night. He quickly got a cover out of his bag and laid it on the ground, before snapping his fingers together to create a magic fire that would warm him. It was timid at first, because he was better at brewing potions than at throwing spells, but it slowly grew in intensity.

He put his hands above the flames, wincing as they tingled. However, he forbid himself from complaining. After all, this was way better than walking in the middle of the storm raging outside. He also got some food out and started eating, hoping that his meal would bring him some courage and strength back. His provisions were starting to grew scarce, however, and he knew that he’d better start considering hunting his own meat before having nothing left.

He didn’t get to savor his meal for long, though. A weird sound resonated from deeper into the cave and Gareth turned around, his instincts yelling at him to hide. His heart missed a beat as he realized that creatures bigger than him might be hiding in this grotto too. After all, he went there back when he was a dragon, but now he was much smaller and he wouldn’t stand a chance if he was to face such a big creature.

Under his breath, he cursed at his own stupidity. Coming here was one thing, but lighting up a fire and getting food out was just asking for trouble. Any hungry creature would notice that smell and come running for it, and exhausted as he was, Gareth made the perfect prey.

The sound got closer and Gareth immediately understood that he wouldn’t have enough time to reach the opening of the cave before that creature got to him. So instead of running away, he chose to think one last time of Luka’s bright smile and a tear ran down his cheek as his heart was filled with love once again. His last wish before facing the creature crawling towards him was for his beloved magician to live a long and happy life, no matter what would happen to Gareth here tonight.


	6. Chapter 6

Luka’s whole body hurt. He was worn out by weeks of travel and the cold was biting at his skin, making him shiver. His once fancy magician clothes were only rags now, his hat barely standing on top of his head. In the last city he went through, people had mistaken him for a beggar, sending weird looks at him. It didn’t matter to him, though. Nothing in the world mattered anymore, apart from the small, green string attached to his finger.

Sometimes he would jerk awake at night, sweat running down his back, convinced that the string had disappeared, that he now had no possibility to find Gareth again. Those nightmares plagued him relentlessly, to the point where he feared closing his eyes in fear the small link wouldn’t be here when he would wake up. He knew he could trust in Ivan’s magic, but this visceral terror haunting him wasn’t rational.

During his trip, Luka lost weight and strength, he could feel it in his bones protesting as he just kept on climbing the mountain, ignoring the harsh wind slapping at his face and tangling his hair. He would find Gareth, even if it was just to pass out of exhaustion in his arms. At the beginning of his travel, he spent whole days thinking about what he would tell Gareth once they were reunited, how he would convince him to come back home. Now, these considerations had left his mind a long time ago. All he wanted was to run into Gareth’s strong arms, to feel his warm embrace and to forget about all the pain and suffering he had been through those last weeks.

His heart missed a beat when he realized the string was leading him towards a cave. He tried to keep his hopes down. Maybe it only lead to some underground tunnels and to an even more difficult part of his travel. But somewhere deep inside, he felt that Gareth was here, close to him, and it gave him enough energy to walk all the way to the grotto.

It was warm inside, way warmer than it ought to be. That was the very first thing Luka noticed, before he spotted a fire burning in a corner of the cave. So someone had been here recently. Maybe Gareth. Please, let it be Gareth, he silently prayed.

On another day, he would have used one of his spells to make sure the cave was devoid of any danger, but not today. Using any magic right now would make him faint for sure, and so he could only count on his regular strength.

He stopped in his tracks when he noticed small, shiny objects covering the floor of the grotto. He knelt to inspect it and once more, a wave of warmth and hope crashed on him. Those were scales, black scales, just like Gareth’s had been.

When he studied magic a lifetime ago, Luka learned that dragons tended to lose them when they were in a situation of stress or when they lost their mate. Magicians would spot them and collect the scales while the dragons were away to use it for the preparation of rare potions.

This discovery convinced Luka that he was at the right place. Of course Gareth had to be feeling distressed and heartbroken, which explained the presence of all those scales. Another reason for Luka to hurry and find him.

The cave was silent though, apart from the crackling fire. Luka kept exploring it, hoping he would find his husband soon. Then they would travel all the way back to Ivan’s house, take their children with them and go back home. Luka couldn’t picture this encounter ending in any other way. He didn’t have enough strength left for another disappointment.

At first, he didn’t notice the hiss. It was barely audible, nothing more than a background sound. But as he went on, it suddenly became overwhelming and he stopped walking, trying his best to stay still, his survival instinct suddenly kicking back in.

Luka didn’t spend much time with Gareth while he was under his dragon form, sure, but he was convinced of one thing: his lover couldn’t produce that kind of noise. This meant another creature was here in the cave with Luka. If he was to believe the noise slowly getting close to him, something big.

The magician reached for his daggers, but decided to take only one out. He wanted to keep one of his hands free to grab a potion if needed. He had used all the invisibility ones days ago, but he was no stranger to brewing poison, even if it wasn’t his favorite method at dealing with things.

When the monster appeared in front of him, Luka immediately knew that his dagger would be useless against it. It looked like a mix between a dragon and a snake, green, probably venomous liquid falling from its long fangs. Its scales were pale, almost white, but it was smaller than regular dragons.

Still big enough to swallow Luka whole in one bite, though.

The magician tried to think of a strategy as the reptile slithered on the floor, examining him with yellow eyes. With just one glimpse, Luka could tell he wouldn’t be able to defeat the beast by taking it by surprise. He had the feeling it could move fast, horribly fast. His only hope was to trap the gigantic reptile, by making it swallow one of its potion. So far, he had no idea of how to manage that.

Also, a crippling fear dug its way through his heart, one that he didn’t want to listen to. If such a fearful monster lived in this cave, where was Gareth? Was he alright? Was he safe? Or did the string attached to Luka’s fingers only lead to a pile of bones?

These last few days, Luka had believed himself unable to shed any more tears. He was proven wrong as his cheeks started getting wet at the thought of never seeing his husband again. If Gareth died here in his cave, all alone, thinking he was nothing more than a monster, Luka would never forgive himself.

The anger boiling through his veins blinded him, to the point where he lost all common sense. Getting out alive of this fight didn’t matter so much, now. The only important thing was to avenge Gareth from this beast, even if it was the last thing Luka did in his life.

He quickly thought of his children, of how they would miss him. But if Gareth… If he was… Dead… Then maybe it was better for the kids that Luka wouldn’t come back. Without Gareth, the magician was a broken man, barely able to care for himself, yet alone for children. Ivan and Lionel would watch over them and they would be happy, just without him…

Luka choked on a sob and the monster gave him a weird look, before getting even closer to him, more threatening than ever. The magician knew how these beasts thought. They were no different to animals and would attack their preys once they showed some weakness. Luka crying over his old life definitely filled those criteria.

He let go of his dagger and quickly rummaged in his cloak for that poison vial. The reptile saw its chance and rushed towards him, striking as fast as lightning. Luka barely had time to react, but he managed to open the potion, a sour scent coming out of him. Maybe the reptile would kill him before the poison took effect, maybe not, but anyway it wouldn’t live to see another day.

He was ready for the monster to snatch him in its jaw, but at the last moment, a shout resonated through the cave.

“Alba! No! Don’t hurt him! He isn’t a threat to us!”

The snake-like monster immediately stopped in its track, confused, its fangs mere inches away from Luka’s body. The small magician almost had a heart attack, but not because of the gigantic reptile who almost attacked him.

He recognized that voice.

It was Gareth’s.

New tears filled his eyes as he frantically looked around, in hope to take a glimpse at his lover. However, the monster still blocked his view with its massive body. Not for long though, because the beast soon started to shrink, to the point where it became even smaller than Luka himself. The scales disappeared, turning into skin and hair. The magician blinked in surprise, not expecting a little girl to appear where the monster had stood just a minute ago. She ran away from him and Luka let the poison vial fall to the floor where it broke, the potion lost forever.

The child finally stopped running, hiding behind two strong legs. Gareth’s legs.

Luka’s breath got stuck in his throat as he finally saw him. His lover, his husband, the father of his children, the only man he wanted in his life. He looked a bit different from what Luka was used to. His hair was even longer than when he had left and it wasn’t tied anymore. The stubble on his cheeks was more pronounced. He had dark circles under his eyes and sunken cheeks. Also, to Luka’s surprise, his scales, horns and wings were still here, contrary to what he had been expecting.

None of this mattered to him, though. Gareth, his Gareth was here, and it was all that mattered.

“Luka. You shouldn’t have come h…”

The magician didn’t even listen to his words. He rushed into Gareth’s arms, crashing their lips together, tears running down his face. He had found him. After weeks of despairing and struggling, he had finally found him. Now, he wasn’t letting Gareth go anywhere without him.

His husband wasn’t responding to the kiss and he should have been worried about that, but for now Luka was too blinded by the joy of finally being reunited with him. He ran his hands all over his cheeks, his hair, his arms, his back, even his wings, everything to make sure that Gareth was here and to remind himself of how his skin felt under his hands.

Gareth looked down at him, hesitating, but after a while he gave up and just wrapped his arms around Luka’s small frame, keeping him close. The magician started sobbing on his shoulder, letting loose all the tension from the last few weeks. Timidly, Gareth ran a clawed hand through his hair, careful not to hurt him. Luka couldn’t say a word, couldn’t let go, too afraid that this was just a dream, that he would wake up and that Gareth would be gone.

His husband waited for a while, his big body warming Luka’s small, cold one. When the magician opened his eyes again, the first thing he noticed was the green string connecting him to Gareth and he felt like crying once more. His lover was here, he was unscathed and life was worth living again.

However, Gareth started to gently push him away, to Luka’s great confusion. He didn’t want this, he wanted to stay near him, to be protected by Gareth’s strong arms forever, he wanted…

“I’m sorry, Luka, but we can’t do that. You… You shouldn’t have come here.”

Luka could hear the sadness in Gareth’s voice, just like he could see it in his blue eyes. The moment he was separated from his lover, that terrible cold invaded him again, spreading all the way to his bones.

“Are you kidding me? Of course I had to come here! I need you, Gareth!”

“No, you don’t. You and the kids, you’re better off without me. I knew it would be hard for you to realize it at first, but…”

Luka didn’t think his next move through. He slapped Gareth across the face, hard, tears of pent up frustration falling from his eyes. He was shaking all over and he was struggling to breathe, as if his body was too small to contain all the emotions bundled in it.

“Stop lying! Just stop a second and take a look at me! Do I look alright? Do I look better off without you? You made love to me, you made me believe you cared about me, that you would always be there for me, but then you left like a thief, abandoning me all alone with the kids to attend to. You can say that you were scared, that you didn’t know how to deal with your transformation, but don’t tell me you did this for me and the kids because that’s not true… That’s not true…”

Luka’s voice broke and he started sobbing. Finding Gareth had been the only thing helping him hold on these last few days, and at his rejection, his whole body started rebelling against him. He was suddenly more aware of his aching muscles and he let himself fall to the floor, hiding his face behind his knees. He needed Gareth to stay with him, or he would never have enough strength to go back home.

The little girl hiding behind Gareth gave Luka a weird look, clearly not understanding what was going on. His husband whispered something in the child’s ear and she nodded before leaving to the other side of the cave. Then he sat next to Luka, putting a hand on his back, his clear blue eyes filled with worry.

“Listen, Lukita, I love you. I love you with all my heart and you know it. That’s why I can’t come back to the city. I’m still half-dragon, which means your first assumptions about my transformation were wrong. Also, I have Alba to take care of, now.”

“The child?” Luka sniffled.

“Yes. She’s a shape-shifter. Her village chase her away when they discovered her power and she lived here all alone before I found her. Now she likes to take a dragon appearance because of me. She’s the sweetest being on this earth and I couldn’t abandon her.”

“Like you abandoned your other children, you mean?” Luka spat back, bitter.

He didn’t want to hurt Gareth, he only wanted for the other man to hug him and tell him he would never leave again, but he was tired, so tired and he couldn’t contain the anger and the pain filling his chest anymore. Not when he felt robbed of everything he loved.

Gareth tried to put a hand on his cheek, willing to make Luka realize the truth, to make him understand that coming back to the city with him would be too dangerous for both of them, but the magician slapped his hand away. He withdrew a little more on himself, more miserable than ever. Gareth’s eyes grew wide as he suddenly acknowledged how fragile his strong, fierce magician had become in his absence. He hated it, hated to know that he was responsible for this.

“Luka…”

“No, stop! I should have known you didn’t care about us when you left. Gods, I was so stupid. I… I wish I never met you!”

Gareth removed his hand, as if the words had burnt him. Luka got up on shaky legs, focusing only on his anger and resentment, letting it fuel him back to life. It was the only way he found not to succumb to the atrocious pain devouring his heart.

“Please tell me you don’t mean that. Luka, please…”

“Hell yes, I do! If I never met you, then you wouldn’t have ruined my life! At first I believed you were kind and considerate, but now I understand that you only care about yourself! I never should have broken that curse, I should have let you stay a fucking dragon, then I wouldn’t be hurting so much!”

Gareth stayed silent at first, not believing in what he had just heard. It didn’t take more than a second for Luka himself to be shocked by his own words. He didn’t mean to be so cruel, he was just lost and didn’t know how to deal with the situation. He loved Gareth, loved him with all his heart and he only wanted him back.

“Gareth, I…”

“Get out.”

“Please, you know I didn’t really want to say that, I know how much you suffered back then, I would never…”

“I said get out!”

Gareth caught him by the wrist and dragged him towards the entrance of the cave. Luka tried to resist him, but his dragon appearance gave Gareth more strength than ever, strength he once upon a time used to carry Luka’s in his arms. He threw him outside, his reptilian eyes shining with rage.

“Gareth, please…”

“No, we’re done with this conversation, Luka. Don’t you ever dare come back here.”

“You don’t understand, I love you! I didn’t want to…”

“Shut up, I’ve heard enough. Thanks for ruining the memory I had of you.”

Luka’s anger was gone as fast as it had come. Now, there was nothing left but regret and emptiness as he reflected upon how stupid he had been. He hated himself, but it was too late now, he had ruined his last chance at getting his lover back. The green string attached to his finger still lead to Gareth, but it didn’t mean anything now, because Gareth didn’t want him anymore.

He wanted to protest, to prove his lover that he was wrong, that he still loved him, that he had just been incredibly stupid by yelling at him, but his mouth was dry and no words would come out. Maybe there was no way out. Maybe Gareth and him just weren’t meant to be.

“I’m sorry.” He simply whispered, so quietly that he wasn’t even sure Gareth heard him.

First, he would have to climb down the mountain. One step after another. It was the only thing he could think of without bursting into tears. Thinking of the past hurt. Thinking of his future without Gareth was agony. Focusing on walking, one feet after the other, that was safer.

Or it would have been if his body hadn’t been so weakened by weeks of privation. He stumbled on the snow and lost his balance, falling face first. The cold spread to his cheeks, his ears, his lips, his nose, every part of his body that wasn’t covered by clothes. He tried to get up, but he couldn’t and his body just kept sliding down, faster and faster and…

He was falling, he suddenly realized. Down the mountain’s cliff. To his death. There was no chance he would survive the fall.

He didn’t really have the time or the energy to be frightened. He was only overwhelmed with regret at knowing that hurting Gareth would be his last action on this earth.

However, the pain didn’t come from where he expected it. He cried out as something sharp dug into his shoulders, snatching him away from the claws of death. Gareth. It had to be Gareth. Gareth just saved him.

However, when his savior gently put him back on the snow, he was proven wrong because Gareth was still standing there, his eyes frozen in horror. He rushed towards Luka, and this time he was the one joining their lips together in a desperate kiss. His hands were clenched on Luka’s clothes and he was crying too.

“Luka! Please tell me you’re alright! I’m sorry, I never should have told you to leave, this is all my fault! Please tell me you’ll be fine!”

“It’s alright, Gareth, I’m fine! But if you’re here, who…”

His husband didn’t have to answer for the magician to have his answer. A few feet away, Alba was standing in the snow, her hands covered into blood, Luka’s blood from where her talons had pierced into his shoulders to save his life. It hurt and he was still bleeding, he realized, but he would survive.

“Thank you.” He whispered to the child.

The girl nodded back in acknowledgment, but she didn’t say anything.

“She still has difficulties talking, since she stayed away from humans for so long. We’re working on that.” Gareth softly explained, all while running his hand through Luka’s hair.

All his emotions, his injury, his fear of losing Gareth once and for all, that was too much for Luka. No matter how hard he tried to keep his eyes open, he soon failed and fainted straight into his husband arms.

 

For the first time in forever, Luka’s sleep wasn’t plagued by nightmares. He woke up feeling rested, shirtless and laying in front of a warm fire, buried in fluffy and comfortable covers. When he turned his head, he noticed that his shoulders were bandaged, but he couldn’t remember how he hurt himself. This was all weird. He was in some sort of cave, all alone, but he had no memory of coming here before. One moment he was walking down the road leading to a mountain and then, he was here.

He rubbed his eyes and yawned, surprised to feel better. The lingering sadness was still here, in his heart, but it was somehow muffled, as if something was keeping him at bay. Strange.

Some clothes were waiting for him next to the fire and he quickly put them on, his fingers stopping on a letter left among the garments. He quickly opened it and read it in one go. Supposedly, some merchant had found him passed out near the road and had saved him from wild beasts. The man had healed him and left those clothes for him, but couldn’t wait for Luka to wake up because he had other businesses he needed to attend to.

It could be true. After all, he had kept on pushing past his limits these last few days. However, his instincts screamed that something here was wrong, very wrong. He was trying to figure out what it was when the green string on his finger tingled his skin a little. Luka was suddenly reminded of the objective of his quest. Gareth. He needed to find him.

The string was supposed to lead him to Gareth, and yet it seemed to go deeper into the cave. Now this was getting weirder and weirder. Since Luka had no other clue as to how to find him anyway, he decided to take a look deeper into the grotto, just in case, leaving his belongings near the fire.

Strangely, the string kept changing directions, but after a while it started pointing towards the roof of the cave. Something nudged at the back of Luka’s mind and he closed his eyes, trying his best to stay concentrated. He was missing something here, he could tell.

Then he heard it and he understood. The sound of winds flapping. Gareth was here and the moment he realized that, it broke some kind of seal in his mind and a flood of memory came rushing back. All of a sudden, he remembered everything, Alba, his fight with Gareth, his fall, fainting while Gareth held him close to his heart…

“Gareth Frank Bale, you’d better come down here this instant! I can’t believe you tried to use one of my own amnesia potions against me!”

It didn’t take long before his husband landed down in front of him, looking all sheepish.

“How did you guess that I was still here?”

Instead of answering straight away, Luka walked to Gareth and intertwined their hands together. The green string uniting them shone even stronger and his husband was finally able to see it too.

“Because of this. No matter where you try to run to, I will find you again. Also, I used a lot of those amnesia potions during my travel so I wouldn’t get into any trouble. The ones I kept in my cloak were only brewed a few days ago, and clearly I wasn’t at my best then so the enchantment was easy to break. Now would you please tell me why you considered making me forget about finding you would be a good idea?”

“Because like that, you could go back home without being hurt.” Gareth whispered back.

“Do you really think I would ever choose to go back home without you? So okay, maybe I was wrong about your curse, and you’re still a half-dragon, I get it. But one of my friends is a sorcerer, he knows more about those kind of enchantments than I. He lives in a secluded house in the woods, in blaugrana land. We could go to him, and maybe he could make sure that you and Alba could fit into society. Gareth, please, I want to stay with you…”

“Wait, why didn’t you tell me about that guy the day I turned into… this!”

Gareth pointed at his scales, his wings and his horns, incomprehension written all over his face. Luka put his hands on his hips, done with everything.

“Are you being real here? Of course I was planning to tell you, but you tricked me into sex before I could and then you ran to the other side of the kingdom without any warning, you big, stupid, idiot dragon!”

Somewhere in the middle of his rant, Luka started crying and hitting Gareth’s chest with weak fists. His lover had promised himself that he would stay strong, that he wouldn’t let Luka sway him, but his resolution was already cracking at the edges. He couldn’t be blind anymore and pretend he was actually helping Luka, not when he could see how this whole situation was destroying his small magician.

“Alright, me and Alba can try and meet your sorcerer friend. But if it doesn’t work, I’m coming back here. I can’t be a threat to the whole city.”

“Wait, did I hear you well? Are you really willing to try that?”

“Yes, that’s what I said. But don’t raise your hopes too much, if it doesn’t w…”

Luka didn’t let him finish. He kissed him desperately, bringing Gareth’s hands to his hips so he could keep him close to his body.

“Where is Alba?” He asked when they parted.

Gareth raised an eyebrow, confused by that question.

“Sleeping, further in the cave. She needed some rest, what happened yesterday was emotionally exhausting for us all but why…”

“Good, then I can do this.” Luka smiled.

He kissed Gareth again, more passionately, before dragging him in front of the rustic fireplace made by the half-dragon. He laid him down on the covers before straddling his hips, manhandling Gareth so his hands would fall on Luka’s ass this time. His husband looked puzzled but he didn’t remove them, though.

“Luka, can I know what you are doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You left without a word and since then, I spent every waking seconds of my days looking for you. Obviously, I didn’t have much time to take care of my own needs. So now, you’d better make up for it, you idiot dragon.”

Gareth couldn’t help but chuckle at that, but it soon turned into a groan as Luka moved against him, fire in his eyes. It had been too long since they were last together. Way too long. Gareth didn’t waste any more time and hurried to take Luka’s shirt off, eager to feel his skin against his. However, he froze when his fingers caressed his back and felt the scars that were still there from their last lovemaking session.

“Luka… Why didn’t you heal yourself?” He whispered, shock in his eyes.

“What do you think? It was the only thing I had left of you. You took everything else, all your clothes, your belongings… I couldn’t even wear one of your shirts to pretend you weren’t that far… All you left was that letter, but it had to be destroyed for the localization spell…”

New tears started to gather in Luka’s eyes, but this time, Gareth kissed them away. And as he gently covered the magician’s body in caresses, he already knew that his previous words were nothing but lies. Even if that sorcerer failed to make him human again, he wouldn’t be able to leave Luka. Not again. He needed his handsome, wonderful magician in his life.

And since he couldn’t put all that into words, he proceeded to worship Luka’s body in all possible ways so that he would feel loved and never, never cry because of Gareth again.


	7. Chapter 7

Something tickled Luka’s chest and he turned around in his sleep, groaning a little. This didn’t solve the problem though and in the end he opened his eyes, slowly waking up. The first thing he saw was Gareth hovering over him, a tender smile on his face. His long hair was unleashed and brushing against Luka’s skin.

They were both still naked from the previous night, and Luka shivered a little from the cold. Not that it bothered him, not when he had more important things to think about.

“Gareth… It wasn’t a dream… You’re here, you’re real!”

He almost jumped on his husband, caressing his hair, his face, his arms, all of him to make sure that he wouldn’t disappear under his fingers. Then he wrapped his arms around Gareth’s neck and kissed him like a desperate man before leaning his forehead against his lover’s.

“You’re here…” He repeated again, his eyes shining with tears.

“Yes, I’m here, so no need to strangle me.” His husband laughed.

“Don’t you dare ever leave again, it’d kill me.” Luka snapped back, loosening his hold a little but hiding his face in Gareth’s neck.

“Of course. I don’t want any harm to come to you.” His lover murmured while kissing his blonde locks with veneration.

It was weird, to see Luka like this. Gareth remembered him as a strong, happy, outgoing man but now he seemed so frail in his arms, ready to break at the first impact. During their night of passion, he had all the time to rediscover his husband’s body and to see how much it had changed since their last encounter.

Luka’s body was all worn out, and so much skinnier than how Gareth remembered it. He could actually pinpoint the places where his bones protruded out. He couldn’t ignore the impact this trap had on his husband. All that because of him. It explained why Luka had said such harsh words to him the day before. Right now he was like a scared animal, afraid of being hurt again. And it was up to Gareth to make him feel safe and to fix the damage that had been done.

“Did you sleep well at least?”

“What do you think?” Luka retorted. “You were here.”

Gareth couldn’t miss the unsaid reproach in his voice, couldn’t pretend Luka wasn’t hurt by all those nights he spent alone. Did he only find safe places to rest during his travel? Gareth could see the dark circles below his eyes, just like he noticed how Luka kept yawning.

“Do you need more sleep? We could always spend the day here and only leave for your friend’s place tomorrow.” Gareth suggested.

“No, we need to leave today.” Luka stated, parting from Gareth and starting to gather his clothes. “Our children are still waiting for us, and I don’t want to keep them waiting. You didn’t see them cry when they realized you were gone or when I told them I needed to go. You don’t know how it hurts…”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be all together soon. I promise.” Gareth whispered before leaving another kiss on Luka’s lips.

The magician nodded and swallowed back his tears. He tried to convince himself that it was going to be alright, he really did, but it was hard when his heart was filled with worries. What if Gareth changed his mind and decided to leave again? What if Ivan didn’t find a way to turn him back into a human? What if Luka never managed to trust him as much as before?

In his dreams, he imagined that being with Gareth again would fix everything, that his lover would kiss him and that they would go back to being happy together. But reality wasn’t that kind. Now there were too many fears plaguing his mind for Luka to be at peace just yet. Yesterday, they had hurt each other and it would take time for the injury to heal.

“We should get dressed. If we want to leave the mountain, we better do it early in the morning, when the winds are still calm. Also I’ll need to take some time to explain this to Alba. It will be a long trip for her, and she’ll be afraid to leave this place again.”

“I understand, do what you have to do. I’ll be waiting for you here.” Luka answered.

There was something off in his voice, and Gareth noticed it immediately. Instead of leaving him all alone here, he waited for Luka to put his shirt down, then he pulled him close, surprising his husband in the process.

“Something is worrying you, I can see it. I… I know I don’t really deserve it, but please talk to me Luka. I can see that you’re suffering and I don’t want that. I never wanted that.”

“It… It’s just… I don’t know how I’m supposed to do this. How I’m supposed to trust you again. I can’t help but think that if I let you out of my sight, maybe you’ll run away from me again. It was already so difficult, to travel all the way here, to find you… I don’t know if I would have enough energy in me to do it again… Not that I wouldn’t try but…”

“Oh Luka, please don’t say that. I can see I screwed up, okay? Now I understand that there were so many better ways to deal with this situation than just running away. I was so scared of the magic running in my veins hurting you that I didn’t realize how my actions could make you suffer even more. I’m sorry, Luka. If you need me to stay with you twenty-four hours a day, I’ll do it. I’ll let you bind us together with magic. Anything so you can feel safer.”

“Wait, are you serious? Would you really let me…”

“Yes. Anything for you, my love.”

Gareth took Luka’s hand in his and intertwined their fingers so that their forearms were touching. Luka blinked in shock and understanding as he felt a weight being lifted from his chest. His husband’s eyes were glued to him, a gentle look on his face.

“Do it, Luka. Don’t be afraid, I’ll be here to back you up if you don’t have enough magic stored to perform the spell.”

“But wait, are you really one hundred percent sure? I mean, it will deprive you of some of your freedom and…”

“Do you really think I value freedom over my husband’s trust? Stop hesitating and do it, Luka. I want you to know you can trust me.”

Luka kept their fingers linked, but he leaned towards Gareth to share a tender kiss with him. When they parted, his eyelashes were wet with tears and Gareth caressed his cheek with his free hand.

“Hey, no more crying. I want you to be happy now. You deserve it, Luka, you deserve it so much.”

“I’ll try.” the magician answered with a shrug, but Gareth could tell it would take time for him to get there.

He tightened his hold on Luka’s hand a little, to remind the wizard of what he still needed to do. The smaller man nodded slightly, then he started casting his spell. He chanted softly, binding energies together as strings of light started to cover his and Gareth’s hand. His husband was mesmerized by his beauty and his hypnotizing voice. He missed Luka so much and now that he had a taste of him again, he knew that he would never be able to let him go again.

Luka stopped singing after a few minutes and he just stayed still, his forehead touching Gareth’s. His breathing got a bit heavier and his husband wrapped an arm around his waist to keep him grounded. Once they would be home, he promised himself to spoil his magician and to make sure he would eat enough. Never before had he seen Luka exhaust himself so much just by using a simple spell.

The magic lights soon disappeared, leaving their hands unchanged, but Gareth knew that it was only in appearance. They were linked together now and he wouldn’t be able to run away again, whether he wanted it or not. This perspective could have been frightening, but Gareth quickly realized that for him, it was all the contrary. It reassured him, to know that now, even his own fears wouldn’t be able to keep him apart from the love of his life. This time, he would sort this out with Luka. Together.

“How did you configure the spell?”

“You can walk a few meters away from me, but not much farther. If you try to, you’ll be blocked by an invisible wall. I tried not to make it too invasive for you, but we can still modify it if it’s bothering you.”

“No, it’s perfect. Also Luka, I… I just can’t pretend nothing happened between us yesterday…”

 

At these words, a flicker of fear went through Luka’s eyes and he withdrew a bit on himself.

“Listen, I know that I overreacted and I’m sorry. What I said about your curse… I never meant it. Of course I would never wish so much suffering on you. I was just so desperate and tired and scared…”

Gareth didn’t let him finish. He pulled him even closer, putting an apologetic kiss on Luka’s cheek before cupping his face in his big hand, one of his wings moving to enclose the little magician in a warm embrace.

“No, Luka, I’m the one who needs to be sorry, not you. I was stupid, I thought that by being cold to you, by keeping my distances, I could muffle my feelings for you. This new appearance of mine… This dragon body… I hate it because I’m so afraid it’ll turn back against me and hurt you in some way… But I focused too much on that and didn’t realize how my actions as a simple man were hurting you, too. Luka, you… You… Fuck, you almost died yesterday because of me! All I did was to protect you, but I fucked and because of me you… You could have…”

Gareth’s chest started heaving with sobs and Luka put small, gentle kisses on his lips. They were both hurt deep inside, he knew that all too well. But somehow, seeing Gareth being all vulnerable like that helped. He could see through him again, understand the turmoils and struggles going through his mind.

“Gareth, I’m a magician. I’m strong. Or at least I am when I don’t travel for weeks long. Even if something wrong was to happen with your magic, I would handle it. Also, we made love twice while you were under that form, and you never lost control. I don’t think there’s much too fear.”

“Even if you’re right, Luka, it doesn’t change anything to the fact that I hurt you and that I am so, so sorry…”

“It’s okay, Gareth. I know you are. We weren’t ourselves yesterday, we both know that. Let’s just… Start again, okay? Give ourselves another chance. I don’t want to lose you, Gareth. So go tell Alba we’re leaving soon.”

They exchanged another kiss full of tears, but they needed to let those out to start again. Once they parted, Luka sighed and gathered the few belongings he was carrying with it. It was happening. He really had a chance to bring Gareth’s back home with him. A small smile appeared on his lips, just thinking of how their children would welcome them. He was dying to hug them again, to tell them that everything would be alright now, that their dad was back once and for all…

 

 

Luka wasn’t really surprised to find Alba under her dragon form, ready to leave, when he got to the exit of the cave. However, he sent Gareth a weird look when he realized their luggage was on her back and that his husband was empty handed.

“I don’t want to sound rude, but don’t you think you should be carrying those things, and not her? I mean, I know Alba must be strong under this reptilian form, but you’re the adult here and…”

“Calm down, Luka, she’s stronger than you think and can barely feel it. Also, I’m afraid my arms will already be too full to carry anything else.”

“Too full with wha- Gareth, wait, what are you doing?”

Luka yelped as his husband lifted him off the ground, carrying him bridal style. He tried to struggle to get out of his grasp but it was useless, the half-dragon being too strong for him.

“Calm down. You said yourself that you didn’t want to lose time, and the best wait to do that is to leave the mountain by flying. Also, I saw just how weak your body is now, so there’s no way I’m letting you climb down that mountain on foot. So just hold onto my neck.”

“Wait, flying? Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Don’t worry, the winds are calm in the morning, but we need to hurry to leave before a storm might rise up.”

“Gareth, this is a really, really bad idea…”

“It isn’t, I promise. You’ll be alright. I’ll never, never let you down.”

Luka gasped as Gareth left the cave without letting him negotiate this any further. As his husband started flying, he hid his face inside his chest, too afraid to look down into the void under him. Gareth ran a hand through his hair, trying to reassure him. Luka could hear his strong wings flapping and the wind brushed against his face, despite how he was snuggling with his lover.

“I know you must be afraid, but you should take a look around you. It’s a beautiful view, especially for your very first flight.”

Reluctantly, Luka complied, although his heart was racing in his chest. He soon discovered that his husband was right, though. From above, the mountain looked even more beautiful, all surrounded by clouds. Far in the distance, Luka could also spot a forest and even a little village. Everything just looked so different from above. However, he soon got distracted from all that and started staring at Gareth’s wings, as they the way the moved so powerfully. Before he could reason himself, Luka heard himself saying:

“You’re beautiful. Under this appearance, I mean. Not that you’re not already handsome, but… I think there’s a reason why that spell turned you into a dragon, and not into another creature. There’s just this… This energy about you… And I know that maybe you’ll hate me for saying this, because you’re so afraid of it, but I… I don’t mind you being like that…”

“Luka… Listen, I love that you’re trying to do, but I’ll never be able to like being in that skin, not when it puts you in danger…”

“I’m not trying to do anything, I’m just telling you how I really feel about this, deep down. Did you only just take the time to look at a mirror since you transformed?”

“What for? To see what a monster I have become?”

“No, to realize how beautiful you are and to understand that you’re no monster. Just think of all the amazing things you can do with that body, Gareth. Flying is a dream so many men wish to achieve… You don’t even imagine how many flying potions I sold back in the days, even if they only lasted for a few seconds. I had to stop because the herbs supplies for that weren’t infinite, but it helped me to make some money when I was establishing my business and…”

“Luka, you’re rambling.”

The magician blushed a little, even more when he realized how his husband was smirking at him. However, that wasn’t enough to distract Luka from what he was trying to tell him.

“Okay, so maybe I got a bit carried away, but the point is that you don’t have to hate yourself now. I know how badly that curse affected you, but you always controlled yourself, no matter what you might say. You never killed anyone…”

“Of course I did!”

Gareth’s desperate cry surprised Luka and he gasped when the flight became more rocky. He held tight into his husband’s shoulder blades, the fear of falling to his death quickly coming back to his mind.

“What do you mean? You never talked to me about this. I knew how bad you felt thinking you killed your friends, but we already discovered that you didn’t, so what…”

“I had to survive as a dragon, Luka! People were hurting me! Do you really believe I managed to make it out alive without defending myself? So yes, I killed people, and I’ll never be able to forget it.”

“They were trying to hurt you!”

“They thought I was a threat for themselves and their family! They had every right to…”

“Oh no, I won’t listen to that kind of bullshit from you! Stop trying to put all the blame on yourselves! You want to know the truth? People go out to hunt and kill dragons for glory and for money, and that’s the only truth there is! I studied magical creatures, Gareth. Except if you build up a pile of gold in the middle of the public place, no dragon will come to attack human’s cities. And seeing how afraid you were of hurting anyone, I’m sure you did your best to stay away from humans even more than natural dragons. The people who tried to harm and kill you did it for selfish reasons. You shouldn’t feel bad because of them.”

Gareth could feel how Luka was shaking in angers in his arms, as if he was ready to fight said men for hurting him. He never considered it that way, but when he thought about it, his lover wasn’t that wrong. Maybe it wasn’t all his fault. Maybe his dragon’s instincts wouldn’t be that dangerous, if he was surrounded by love…

“Luka… You know I just can’t erase all the hurt from my past just like that.”

“I know, Gareth. But just try to think about it, please. Just try to understand how wonderful you are.”

Gareth’s heart missed a beat upon seeing the adoration in Luka’s eyes. He felt like he didn’t deserve it, not after everything he’d done wrong. He just held his little magician a little stronger in his arms and kept flying, hoping his husband wouldn’t notice how he was fighting against tears. He never thought those words of acceptation would mean so much to him.

And yet…

 

 

Thanks to Gareth’s wings, their travel barely lasted a few days and Luka didn’t miss his chance to praise his husband and assure him of how wonderful his new ability was. They stopped to sleep in the forest at night, far away from town and villages. Luka knew quite well that Gareth could get in trouble if people spotted him. When they slept, he always enveloped Luka in his wings to make sure that his wizard would be safe. He also snuggled close to him for warmth, and the magician discovered with a laugh how much dragons could seek it. He didn’t mind to have his husbands hands all over him, though. He had missed it for way too long.

During the first days, Alba was really shy, spending almost all her time in her dragon form. Luka was amazed to see how Gareth and her could communicate during that time, while he couldn’t catch any of the little girls emotions. But with time, she understood that Luka meant no harm to her family.

The magician slowly learned to like her too, understanding that this resentment he held over her was simply unjust. She wasn’t the reason Gareth abandoned him and his children, she was a little girl lost and chased away by her loved ones because of her powers. Of course, this moved Luka and it didn’t take long for Luka to start sharing his magic knowledge with her, trying to find how it could make their everyday life easier.

Finally, they arrived to Ivan’s house, early in the morning. The dawn was bright, but the forest around the sorcerer’s house always looked gloomy despite that. Luka was almost certain that his friend used a spell for that purpose alone. Not that he could blame him: he knew how important appearances were when it came to the practice of magic.

When he knocked on the door, Ivan wasn’t here to answer him. Only Leo, looking like the most exhausted man on earth. He didn’t have much reaction upon seeing the two men at his door, only muttering some fast greetings, but his face went why when his eyes fell on Alba.

“Please, tell me you’re here to take your kids with you and not leave another one under my charge. I can’t even remember the last time I slept for a whole night.”

“Is… Is this your sorcerer friend?” Gareth asked Luka, a bit taken aback.

“No, this is his husband. Leo Messi, king of blaugrana land.”

“Well, this king didn’t really get to rule over anything this last few weeks before he was too busy comforting crying children at night.” Leo pointed out.

Immediately, a wave of guilt crashed upon both Luka and Gareth. They already missed their children so much, but to know they had been unhappy all this time… It broke their heart once and for all. Luka didn’t wait a single second. He quickly made his way inside, followed by Gareth while a tired Leo watched them do so.

The moment Luka got the first glance at his daughter in so long, he started crying. He just dropped down to his knees so he could hug her while the little girl did the same, babbling incoherent words about how she feared he would never come back.

“It’s over now, I’m here. And I brought your dad back too.”

She raised her head, staring with bewilderment at Gareth. Luka and her didn’t have to move. The half-dragon soon joined them in that tight hug, all of them crying in happiness at feeling like a family again. They lost track of time, but it didn’t take long for Leo to come back to see them, holding Ivano in his arms. He let the boy down the moment he saw his parents so he could join in the celebration, too.

Alba sent them weird looks, not really knowing if she should join it or not. Luka noticed it in the middle of his happiness and froze for a second. During their trip, Gareth had told him lots of things about the little girl’s past, including how she wasn’t allowed to play with other children for most of her life because of her weird abilities.

Luka stepped out from the hug and gave her a welcoming gesture. For a while, she hesitated before stepping forward, although looking a bit scared. Then the magician turned around to get the attention of his children.

“Ema, Ivano, this is your new sister, Alba. She made sure your dad was safe while he was away. She’ll be part of our family from now on.”

He gave the children some space so they could have the time to meet each other and Gareth did the same, standing next to him before putting a kiss on the magician’s forehead. To Luka, this still felt unreal. He couldn’t believe that Gareth was here with him again, that he loved him, that maybe they had a chance to come back to a happy life, all together.

It didn’t take long for the children to learn to love Alba too, the minute they understood all the tricks she could do thanks to her shape-shifters powers. For children raised by a wizard, it all looked amazing and Luka almost felt like crying again just by seeing how well they got along.

His heart wasn’t free from any fear, though. If Ivan didn’t find a way to turn Gareth back to his human form… Luka didn’t know how his husband would react. The good thing was that he couldn’t run away while Luka would be busy, not now that a strong magic link united them, but… But Luka would never be able to force him to stay with him against his will if it made him unhappy. He would let him go, no matter if it broke his heart.

At that thought, a rush of panic went through him. During his trip with Gareth, he had ignored that reality, only focusing on being with his husband again. But now… Now he was forced to face the truth. Maybe Ivan would fail at understanding what was happening to Gareth, and then his husband would leave, and Luka would be all alone again, sad and desperate and with three children to take care of how and how would he manage that when he had already proven to be a failure the first time Gareth left and… And…

The moment Luka realized he had troubles breathing, he was already too far gone in his panic attack to control it. Gareth immediately noticed that something was wrong and he rushed to take him in his strong arms, cutting him from the rest of the world in a protective gesture.

“Luka, are you alright? Luka!”

“I… I don’t… I don’t want to lose you… I can’t… Not again…”

Gareth’s grew wide as he understood where stood the problem. He put a hand under Luka’s chin so he would look at him, but before he could whisper any words of comfort to him, he heard the door opening behind him, a man he didn’t know making his way through the door.

“I’m home, love. Sorry for coming back so late, but those moths were much harder to capture than I expected and… Oh, I see Luka came back.”

The moment he heard Ivan’s voice, Luka broke into sobs. Here it was, the end of his happiness. He wanted to hold onto the thing string of hope that his friend would be able to cure Gareth from his transformation, but his instincts as a magician told him that no such things would be happening. And then, Gareth would leave.

He took a deep breath, inhaling his lover’s scent and enjoying being in his arms for what he believed would be the last time. Then he forced himself to calm down and to wipe out his tears, despite how distressed he felt inside. He had to be strong. For his children. He couldn’t allow himself to freak out another time.

No matter how much it hurt.


End file.
